


Strife and Prejudice

by Janeite_of_the_slums



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Flirting, Banter, Borderline crack, Dancing, Drama & Romance, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Innuendo, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Probably just me, Pure Corn, Romantic Comedy, Sappy Love Songs, Sexual Tension, Ship war references, Slow Burn, i crack myself up, silliness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29170329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janeite_of_the_slums/pseuds/Janeite_of_the_slums
Summary: “It is a truth universally acknowledged… that a single young man in possession of a motorcycle must be in want of a girlfriend.”Local gossip confirms that one ex-SOLDIER, not just a rich mercenary but a major heartthrob, has set up shop in Midgar, and the girls of AVALANCHE are so eager to meet him that they host a dance at Seventh Heaven. But for Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough, it couldn’t go more wrong.When Zack Fair blows up the dance floor with eyes only for a certain flower girl, everyone thinks it’s love at first sight—but the reality is bittersweet.Proud and aloof toward everyone he meets, Zack’s friend, Cloud Strife, isn’t the best at expressing himself. His insecurities quickly land him in hot water with his childhood friend, Tifa, now a bewitching barmaid. Sparks fly between the two of them. But while Cloud battles with his feelings, Tifa finds herself riddled with doubts that only increase as the story of his missing past unfolds.A classic love story collides with the world of Final Fantasy VII… with a number of twists.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough & Tifa Lockhart, Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Zack Fair & Cloud Strife, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Comments: 30
Kudos: 90





	1. Can’t See the Stars No More

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rom-com style retelling of the events of Final Fantasy VII that loosely follows the plot of Pride and Prejudice, with Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife in the roles of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. There will be many references from Jane Austen’s iconic novel, Andrew Davies’ TV adaptation from 1995 (Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle), and maybe even the 2005 movie (Keira Knightley/Matthew Macfadyen). Because I am the biggest nerd ever.
> 
> Note on Tags: ‘/‘ indicates romantic relationship. ‘&’ indicates platonic friendship. I used both tags for Cloud and Tifa because they seem to be used interchangeably by some authors here.

It was almost daybreak. The violet sky was gradually lightening over a rocky wasteland, grim and gray, and the wind was still. There were no signs of life until the sleepy silence was suddenly broken by a faint ripping and roaring, growing louder and louder until two motorcycles could be seen thundering across the barren landscape, racing toward the silhouette of an enormous city that had barely begun to take shape in the first light of dawn.

The riders stopped their mounts and stood quietly, side by side, looking out at the sprawling metropolis ahead.

“There it is,” said the taller of the pair. Calm and cocksure, he straddled his bike with his chest pushed out and his hands on his hips, and his youthful voice was brimming with exuberant energy.

“Wow.” The smaller guy, slightly built, had a softer and more subdued voice, but with a rough edge to it. “I still remember the first time I saw this place. Feels like it was yesterday.”

“Yeah… We were both kids, weren’t we?”

A brief hesitation, then a nod. “Yeah. Just kids.”

“So… you ready to do this?” The first guy leaned forward in his seat.

“I guess…” The other shrugged. “They say the folks down in the slums are pretty savage.”

“Nah, I bet they’re charming! We might even meet some cute girls!”

“Seriously?” His companion rolled his helmeted head back in exaggerated annoyance. “You really _are_ still just a kid.”

“Ha! Like you’re so mature, Spikey!”

“Shut up, Stamp!”

Stamp only roared with laughter, letting out a few loud barks and a wolflike howl as he gunned his engine and zipped off, leaving his friend in a billowing cloud of dust. Coughing and swearing, Spikey shot after him. Their receding forms quickly shrank into black specks until they were finally swallowed up by the ever-growing haze of the monstrous, looming city of Midgar.

*^*^*^*^*

Tifa Lockhart was jogging through the slums of Sector Seven on a cool December morning, kicking up dust behind her heels and working up quite a sweat. It was almost winter, but she was wearing short shorts and a cropped tank top. Midgar didn’t have regular seasons and winters here were mild, nothing like the biting cold and heavy snows of her childhood home, the mountain village of Nibelheim. She missed it… sometimes.

She missed the sun, too. Down here in the slums, beneath the gigantic steel plate on which the upper city had been built, artificial sun lamps marked the beginning and end of each day, courtesy of the Shinra Electric Power Company, whose influence was boundless and whose rule was absolute. Her one consolation was the sunrise, giving her just a glimpse of flaming glory before it vanished behind the all-consuming plate. It was one of the main reasons she liked to jog so early in the morning. That, and she needed to get to work long before opening time, to prepare for the breakfast rush.

She rarely saw the sunset—the bar windows didn’t face that way, and behind the bar was where she normally spent her evenings. And after midnight, when she would finally lock the doors and head out to her apartment where her lonely bed was waiting, there was no silver moonlight to greet her when she stepped out into the night, no glittering multitude of stars to gaze at…

Not that Tifa actually had anyone to gaze at the stars with. But she sometimes wished she did. Sometimes.

The red sun was breaking gently over the horizon and soft orange light was beaming under the plate as she approached the most dreaded section of her run—the Sector Seven undercity train station. She couldn’t go around it, unless she wanted to jog endlessly back and forth through the marketplace. That would be ridiculous; she needed the change of scenery. The problem was… there were _people_ there.

Many of them she knew, having lived here for five years now, and they knew her, were used to seeing her run by every morning—but that didn’t stop—

A wolf whistle.

“Tifa, baby! Lookin’ _good!”_

A smattering of laughter.

Tifa smiled and waved in spite of her discomfort, as she always did. _Be friendly. Don’t let it show. Most girls would love the attention…_

“Well, don’t _she_ think she’s got the goods,” a woman’s voice scoffed.

That one hurt. Tifa was more than aware that men found her attractive—at least, they weren’t shy about letting her know it—but she never came out here to flaunt her body. She simply liked to run in clothes that were cute and comfortable.

_Just ignore it. You have to put up a good front._

Tifa lifted her chin and jogged on. As much as she hated this kind of attention, she didn’t wish any of them ill. She was already trying not to think about the fact that her friends—or, more truthfully, her _organization—_ were, perhaps at this very moment, gearing up for a mission to do something she’d never signed up for…

The sound of a distant, sputtering roar interrupted her thoughts. Tifa stopped still. A murmur rippled through the crowd at the station she’d just passed. She spun around just as a pair of black motorcycles came blasting out of the Corkscrew Tunnel, racing alongside the tracks. They slowed down until they came to a stop right in the middle of the station.

She stood where she was for a moment, eyes transfixed, watching. The riders appeared to be two young men, dressed head to toe in black. As they dismounted, she suddenly saw a glint of shining metal—a massive sword, strapped to one rider’s back. Her heart jumped.

_I know that sword…_

The other rider suddenly turned to face her. He was shorter than the first, and even from where she stood, she could see a pair of electric-blue eyes—Mako eyes—glowing through the shadow beneath his helmet. For just a moment, they locked with her own.

With a gasp, Tifa spun around and jogged away, ignoring the buzzing of the crowd. Maybe this was a coincidence. Maybe it had been a trick of the light. Or her imagination, taking her to places she never wanted to visit again. Those glowing eyes… the silver gleam of steel… the last things she’d seen before…

Tifa shook her head and quickened her pace, trying to chase away the unwanted thoughts. She had to get to the bar. It was nearly opening time, and she’d promised to meet Aerith topside, after her shift. Above all, she couldn’t mention any of this to Aerith. Not until she knew for sure.

*^*^*^*^*

Tifa slowed to a leisurely walk as she went up the dusty path to her apartment building, where the landlady, Marle, was standing beneath the overhang in her usual spot, enjoying her morning coffee.

“Tifa, my dear!” the older woman greeted her. She was slender and attractive in spite of her age, with high cheekbones and long gray hair teased up in a wild bouffant. “How are you doing today?”

“Great, thanks,” Tifa panted, stretching her arms up over her head. “I’d kill for a shower, though. Have you heard from the water district?”

“No, the crooks! Called them three times yesterday. I’d storm Shinra HQ myself and give ’em a piece of my mind, if it weren’t for our Johnny.”

Tifa smiled and stretched to the side. “That might not go over so well.”

“Oh, I know. Would be fun, though.” Marle laughed.

“I’m sure they’d be cowed into submission.” Tifa chuckled as she held on to the railing and leaned forward, stretching out her calves. “No worries. I’ll manage. Poor Biggs, though. Always muttering about how bad he reeks.”

“They should have it fixed by this afternoon. They always do.” Marle turned as Tifa began to climb the stairs to her second-floor apartment. “By the way… I thought I heard motorcycles a while ago. Did you happen to see anyone new at the station?”

Tifa’s heart began to pound. “Nobody interesting,” she parried over her shoulder, trying to sound casual. “Probably just a couple of bored rich guys from the upper plate. They won’t stick around.”

“Oooh… you never know,” Marle said with a wink. “Wouldn’t hurt to wear something extra cute today!”

“And slather on the deodorant!” Tifa ducked her head and privately rolled her eyes as she reached the top of the stairs. Marle was always urging her and the other girls to find boyfriends, preferably guys with more than a few Gil to rub together. Seemed she’d never found that special someone in her youth and didn’t want her adopted granddaughters—Tifa, Aerith, Nellie, and Jessie—to miss their chance to get out of the slums.

In the narrow breezeway, Tifa paused at the door to Room 201. The apartment next to hers had been vacant for months, and she briefly wondered if she might have a new neighbor soon. The thought made her skin crawl.

She jammed her key into the lock and hurriedly let herself in. Desperate for a distraction, she turned on the radio. She immediately recognized the song; it was an upbeat ballad she’d heard often.

_Oh Midgar, Midgar, city that’s always on my mind_

_For Midgar, Midgar, I left my one true love behind_

Tifa pulled on her gloves and made a beeline for the punching bag in the corner. She needed to let off some steam.

_Our parting words never said, only to be washed away_

_Swept up and lost in the stream of life_

Tifa felt lost. She pounded out a series of quick jabs to warm up, then delivered a roundhouse kick.

_You and me girl—watching and wishing_

_We both burned so very bright—brighter than the sun_

Tifa’s chest was burning.

_Yet we played it too cool, never making a move_

_How our hearts raced so fast, we could hear them beat_

Her heart was racing.

_Electricity—oh how the sparks would fly_

Her fists were flying.

_Oh Midgar, Midgar…_

Drenched in sweat, Tifa shook out her arms and legs and jogged in place to cool down. She shut off the radio, then went over to the tiny bathroom to freshen up, using a washcloth and a bucket of cold water she kept under the sink for emergencies. Her wet clothes were spread out over the side of the narrow tub to wait for the laundromat.

Scanning her small closet, she picked out a simple outfit for the day: a gray heathered T-shirt that she knotted at the waist, a pair of snug-fitting white jeans, and red sneakers. _Cute enough,_ she thought _._ Then she tugged a brush through her long, dark hair and tied it in a low ponytail that dangled near the small of her back. It felt a bit greasy at the roots, but it would have to do. A few spritzes of vanilla lavender body spray finished the job.

She stepped outside to blinding white light and looked up at the solid steel plate that blocked the sky, those lyrics still buzzing through her mind.

_I can’t see the stars no more—but they still fall_

_In the plate’s reflection, that night summer sky from our youth_

Stargazer Heights was the name of the building she lived in. People around here often joked about it, but Tifa thought she understood why Marle had chosen it. Maybe it was her dream, too. To see the stars again someday.

*^*^*^*^*

Tifa unlocked the double doors to Seventh Heaven and flipped on the lights, glancing around briefly as she walked to the back. Her eyes landed with satisfaction on the long, rustic tables with their glossy shine, the dim glow of the faded wood floor. If she gave herself leisure to dwell on it, the country-style interior always managed to give her a wistful sort of feeling, one that was equal parts nostalgia and sadness.

The smell that greeted her as she entered the kitchen behind the bar jolted her out of her musings. Dirty dishes filled the sink and lay in messy stacks on the countertops. Because of yesterday’s water contamination incident, she’d had to leave them overnight.

Perhaps other business owners would have closed down for the day. But Tifa couldn’t afford to do that.

She leaned over a pile of plates and turned the faucet gingerly. Rust-colored water gushed out and she cranked it shut again, wrinkling her nose at the stench of rotten eggs that followed. So much for that idea.

She had barely dug out enough plates and glasses and utensils to serve with and had scrubbed them over with fistfuls of sanitizing wipes—an invaluable commodity in the slums—when she heard a familiar jingle. A customer. Then another. The breakfast rush had begun.

Tifa had decided to post a limited menu on the chalkboard next to the counter before closing the night before, and fortunately her patrons were understanding… after all, most of Sector Seven was probably affected by this stupid water crisis. They were soon sitting down happily to frozen toaster waffles, chilled fruit cups, microwaved bacon, and orange juice. The next hour passed by in a blur of order-taking, friendly chatter, punching the cash register, cooking, serving, dashing back and forth, back and forth. Customers came and went. The dishes began to pile up once more.

After the initial rush, business began to slow down a bit. Then, at about a quarter to eight, the doors opened again and a familiar pair of brunettes tumbled into the bar, leaning on each other and giggling. They were followed closely by a dark-haired young man whose eyes were rolled skyward in a show of amused exasperation.

“Tifa!” squealed Jessie, the more vocal of the two girls. Her long hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, as usual, and her brown eyes were sparkling. “We didn’t know if you’d be open today.”

“I know. Everyone’s so surprised.”

“They shouldn’t be,” said Nellie, who wore her wavy brown hair loose around her shoulders. “You’re so… _dependable_. We can always count on you.”

Tifa blushed slightly. “Maybe, but we’ve…” She checked herself; the older couple who had arrived first were still there. “I’ve got bills to pay, too.”

“We all do,” said Biggs, catching her meaning.

“Right.” Tifa smiled at the three. “So… what can I get you?”

They all eyed the menu dubiously.

“Um… how about some coffee?” said Jessie at last. “If it’s not… you know…”

“I brewed it yesterday morning,” Tifa said pointedly. “It’s nice and hot.”

“Come _on_ , Jess,” groaned Biggs. “Nobody would try to brew coffee with the nasty water Shinra’s been spewing down here.”

“I could probably get away with it, though,” Tifa said as she poured the dark, steaming liquid into a white mug and passed it across the bar to Jessie. “It’s just the right shade of brown.”

“Gross, Tifa!”

Tifa laughed. “Fine. It’s on the house. But I promise, I _did_ make it with clean water!”

Biggs and Nellie accepted cups of coffee as well and joined Jessie at a long table close to the bar. They were making small talk, but Jessie and Nellie kept stealing quick glances around the room, as if they were bursting with a secret they couldn’t share in public. Tifa felt a flutter in her stomach as she recalled the scene at the train station. Surely they didn’t already know…?

The older couple finally got up and left. As Tifa went over to pick up their dishes, she could clearly hear Jessie’s hushed voice from the other table.

“You’ll never believe what Nellie and I heard from Katie on the way here!”

Tifa’s stomach did a flip as she carried the plates back to the bar. Katie was a member of the neighborhood watch and always had the latest gossip.

“Hmm. Does it have anything to do with a mysterious guy on a motorcycle?” Biggs said slyly.

Jessie smirked. “Naturally.”

“Figured. You and your unhealthy obsession with guys on bikes.”

“Unhealthy!” Jessie feigned a look of horror. “Never!”

“It’s good for improving blood flow,” said Nellie, then snorted into her napkin. The two girls dissolved into more giggles.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged,” Tifa piped up from behind the bar, “that a single young man in possession of a motorcycle _must_ be in want of a girlfriend.”

Jessie groaned and looked over her shoulder. “Tifa, I don’t even want to know what dusty old book you got _that_ from.” She paused thoughtfully. “Unless there’s smut in it.”

Tifa blushed. “Nope. Just classic literature.”

“Well?” Jessie turned back to Biggs and leaned across the table on her elbows. “Don’t you wanna know?”

Biggs glanced sideways at her, arms crossed. “Well, you obviously want to tell me, and I don’t mind hearing it.”

“Oh, you’re such a tease!”

“I do my best.”

“So…” Jessie glanced around at everyone, including Tifa, who was trying to maintain a façade of polite interest. “Turns out he’s a First Class SOLDIER!”

Tifa gasped, a sound that was fortunately masked by Biggs’ low whistle.

“Damn,” he exhaled. “You sure that’s good news? Last thing we want around here is more Shinra mutts breathing down our necks.”

“Oh,” Nellie chimed in, “but he quit Shinra! He’s an Ex-SOLDIER!”

“And Katie said he’s hot!” squealed Jessie. “He even used to have his own fan club!”

Biggs rolled his eyes and took a sip of coffee.

“What do you think about _that_ , Tifa?” Jessie pinned her with a teasing smirk.

Tifa cocked her head and smiled back, trying to cover her embarrassment. It was no secret among her group of friends that she didn’t date. Ever.

“Could be an asset to the cause… if Barret thinks we can trust him,” she said calmly. “ _And_ if we can afford him.”

“Barret won’t go for it,” said Biggs. “He’d never trust one of Shinra’s human war machines, no matter what he looks like.”

“But he’s never even met the guy,” said Nellie. “Maybe Shinra screwed him over.”

“I guess that’s possible.”

“Then we’ve gotta find a way for them to meet,” Jessie stated. “Right?”

“ _We?”_ Biggs raised his dark brows. “What do you mean, we?”

“I dunno… you and Wedge could try to get him on the neighborhood watch. Do _something.”_

 _“_ Why is this suddenly so urgent? You think he came all the way down here just so he could sign up for AVALANCHE?”

“Well, he’s probably looking for work. Katie said he pulls down about five thousand Gil a _month!_ And he’s leasing Featherfield Place in Upper Sector Two!”

“Oh, so he’s rich, too?”

“Now you’re just being petty.”

The chimes rang out as the doors swung open again. The group fell silent, not daring to turn around. Tifa looked up to see a large young man shuffle through, carrying two flat white boxes. She smiled at him.

“Hey, Wedge!”

A collective sigh of relief rose up from the table as the others greeted their friend.

“Hey, Tifa!” Wedge was grinning broadly, as always. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be open for breakfast today, so I brought some donuts.” He set down the boxes and Jessie and Nellie immediately started pawing through them.

“Thanks, Wedge!” said Tifa. “Where did you get these? I heard Sunlamp’s was going to be closed today.”

“I went over to Sector Six,” he said, helping himself. “Bingley’s Donuts.”

“Now _that’s_ dedication,” said Nellie, in between bites.

Wedge patted his substantial middle. “You know it.”

Everyone laughed.

“So… what’s the big secret?” Wedge polished off his first donut and reached for another. “You guys all got _really_ quiet the second I walked in.”

Jessie groaned. “Were we _that_ obvious?”

“Kinda, yeah. So?” He looked at her expectantly.

“Well… Nellie and I stopped to talk to Katie for a bit, and…”

Just then, the phone rang behind the bar. Tifa dashed over to pick it up.

“Seventh Heaven, may I help you?… Oh, hi, Uncle Godo… Sure, what is it?... Uh huh… No, I haven’t… Wait… She did WHAT?”

Silence fell over the room.

“Oh… Oh, I’m so sorry… I know… Oh, I’m sure she will… Okay… I’ll try… No, it’s no trouble at all… You, too… Okay, ’bye.”

Tifa set down the receiver and turned to find herself facing four pairs of curious eyes.

“She’s coming, isn’t she?” Jessie’s voice was sharp.

“Sounds like it,” said Tifa, wiping down the bar with another Sani-Wipe.

Nellie raised an eyebrow. “What did she do this time?”

“Well…” Tifa paused her wiping and sighed. “She’s been training to be a ninja.”

Jessie and Nellie exchanged a look of disbelief.

“She and my uncle—her dad—had an argument, and… she ran away from home,” Tifa went on, frowning at them. “We think she’s going to turn up here and ask to stay with me.”

“All the way from Wutai?” Biggs was staring at her. “By herself?”

Tifa shrugged. “My uncle seems to think she can take care of herself. She st—uh, she’s got enough money to make it to Midgar.”

Biggs shook his head. “Poor kid.”

Jessie snorted. “I wouldn’t feel too sorry for her. Don’t you remember what happened last time? She stole 300 Gil from me— _and_ a valuable Summon Materia from Barret.”

“And I made her give it all back, as you might also recall,” Tifa pointed out.

“Yeah, but how do you know she won’t try it again?”

“I don’t. I’ll just have to keep an eye on her.”

“Just give her another chance, will you?” Biggs was looking reproachfully at the girls. “She’s just a lonely kid.”

“Honestly, I plan to steer clear this time,” said Jessie.

Nellie nodded her agreement and whispered something in Jessie’s ear. Tifa’s cheeks heated as she thought she heard the words “spoiled brat”. Not exactly a lie, but…

“I’ll show her around,” Wedge offered. “It’s been a while since last time. How old is she now?”

“Sixteen, I think.”

“Really?” Wedge counted on his fingers. “Huh. Guess that’s about right.”

“Sorry, Tifa,” Jessie said flatly. “I know she’s your cousin and all, but this is asking an awful lot.”

“Just be nice to her,” sighed Tifa, her hands on her hips. “Please?” she added.

The girls halfheartedly promised they would. Before they could resume their previous conversation, however, another customer entered. He waved at Biggs and Wedge, who knew everyone. They waved back. Then, as if he’d been rehearsing for months, Wedge started to talk about his cats.

Once the new customer had been seated and served and Wedge was halfway through his tired tale of Biggumus Rex’s misadventure with the neighbor’s parakeet, Jessie stood up. To Tifa’s surprise, she walked up to the bar.

“Can I follow you to the kitchen for a minute?” she asked, in a quiet voice. “I’ve got something to show you.”

“Sure,” said Tifa with false cheerfulness, not sure if her nerves could handle any more surprises today. “Come on back.”

Jessie followed her into the stuffy room, still slightly rank with the odor of unwashed dishes. She reached into her faux leather handbag and pulled out a cylindrical object.

“I’ve been experimenting with some materials lately,” she said. “This is a water filter I made. It ended up costing a fraction of what Shinra charges for one of theirs. I already tried it on my sink at home and it seems to get rid of the sediment _and_ the smell. But I thought we’d get more bang for our buck if we put it in here, at the bar. It’d be good for business, and with all the water issues we’ve been having around here, your customers might start wanting them, too.”

“Wow, Jessie!” Tifa didn’t know what to say. “That’s such a great idea! Thank you!”

“And…” Jessie looked down and shuffled her feet. “Sorry about the way I acted about your… relatives. I might not want to hang around much, but I’ll do my best to help you out. I’m sure Nellie will, too.”

Tifa smiled. “Thanks. I know she’s a handful. I’m sort of dreading it, actually.”

“No worries.” Jessie winked. “Here, let me install this for you.”

She knelt down under the sink, pulled a few tools out of her bag, and went to work. After several minutes, she emerged with a triumphant grin. “Nothing to it! Now turn on the water and watch the magic!”

Tifa twisted the faucet. The stream of water looked cloudy at first, but it slowly became crystal clear. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, clapping her hands together.

“This is amazing!” she cried. “And no smell! Jessie, you’re a genius!” She held up her hand for a high-five.

“Told you so!” Jessie crowed, then laughed as Tifa immediately picked up a plate and furiously began to wash it. “Have fun with that. I wish I could stay and help, but I think it’s time we got out of here.”

“No problem.” Suddenly Tifa remembered something. She took a deep breath, mustering all her courage. “Hey, Jess.”

Jessie turned around. “Yeah?”

Tifa motioned for her to come closer, lowering her voice.

“That former First Class SOLDIER… Did Katie happen to know what his name was?”

“Oh, didn’t I mention it?” Jessie leaned over and whispered, “Zack Fair.”

Tifa gripped the edge of the sink.

“Tifa! You okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine,” Tifa managed to grunt, wondering precisely how red in the face she’d just become. “Charley horse in my leg. Probably from running this morning.” She bent down and pretended to massage it. “See you guys later! And thanks again for the filter!”

Jessie still looked concerned, but she gave a nod and left the kitchen. Tifa resurfaced in time to see her follow the other three out the front door. Her heart was drumming. Her knees were shaking. She made her way over to a booth and sank down, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

 _Zack._ He was alive. After that horrible tragedy, after having been missing for five years, he was alive, after all… and now he was _here_. In Midgar.

And Aerith didn’t know…

Still in a daze, Tifa stumbled over to the table her friends had just vacated and started collecting coffee mugs, empty sugar packets, and napkins. She wiped down the table and chairs. All at once, a random thought struck her.

_Two guys… There were two guys…_

Tifa folded up the empty box from Bingley’s Donuts and stuffed it into the trash can behind the bar. Her mind was reeling. The two men she’d seen this morning… they’d both been wearing identical uniforms. How many other First Class SOLDIERs were there? It couldn’t possibly be… _him,_ could it?

She lifted her eyes once more to the pile of dishes in the sink and heaved a sigh. They weren’t going to wash themselves. She’d have plenty of time to gather her thoughts before lunchtime.

*^*^*^*^*

At precisely eight minutes past noon, Tifa was seated on board the Midgar Express, watching the slums of Sector Seven go whizzing by. She’d swept the floor, wiped down all the tables, and washed every last plate, barely making it to the station in time to catch the twelve o’clock train.

She leaned back, resting her head against the cold glass of the window behind her, and closed her eyes, not quite in the mood for the novel she’d stashed in her purse. The ride to the upper plate would take about twenty more minutes. Enough time for a little snooze… or it would have been, if sleep didn’t always have a maddening way of eluding her whenever she needed it most. And if her thoughts didn’t happen to be racing faster than this train she was on.

Aerith hadn’t heard from Zack. She couldn’t have. Tifa knew it, because there was no way her best friend would have kept her in the dark about something as massively significant as the long-awaited return of the love of her life.

Should she say something? What if Tifa told her he was in town, and… he never came? What if she said nothing, and Aerith heard about him from someone else? She couldn’t bear to consider that possibility, either. Maybe Katie had been wrong. Maybe it was some other SOLDIER. Maybe Jessie had been wrong. Maybe she’d just _wanted_ it to be Zack…

_Damn it… I need more time…_

Just then, the train lurched to a stop, and the canned voice over her head announced their arrival in Sector One. Tifa rose from the vinyl seat with a sick feeling in her stomach. As she exited the sliding doors, she immediately spotted a petite girl with a huge pink bow in her hair, waving at her from behind a group of businessmen in gray suits.

“Tifa!” Aerith called out, in her bright, chirpy voice. “Over here!”

Tifa never had any problem finding Aerith Gainsborough in a crowd, no matter the size. Though she was small and slim, she stood out in her own unique way. She always wore pink, and today she had on a dainty white midi dress covered in a pink cherry blossom print, edged in white lace, with a stonewashed denim jacket on top. A pair of brown hiking boots completed her outfit.

Dresses, jackets, and boots were Aerith’s signature style, and she wore them well. Tifa thought they suited her perfectly. Delicate and deceptively innocent in appearance, yet tough and streetwise, she’d lived in the Midgar slums for most of her life, much longer than Tifa had. But Tifa knew there had once been a time when Aerith, bold as she now was, would never have ventured to the upper plate on her own.

The two girls wasted no time in reaching each other, and Tifa quickly found herself enveloped in a hug she hadn’t known how badly she needed. Aerith always smelled so good, too. Even when she wasn’t carrying a basket of flowers under one arm, she exuded their sweet fragrance.

“I’ve missed you,” Tifa said with a genuine smile, pulling back and holding her friend at arm’s length.

“Aww!” Aerith’s bright green eyes sparkled. “I’ve missed you, too! Been busy, huh?”

“Always.” Tifa hooked her arm through Aerith’s as they walked together toward Fountain Plaza, their favorite lunch spot. “Our water got contaminated again yesterday, for about the third time this month,” she began idly, trying to act like her normal self. “It’s getting to be a major problem. But Jessie figured out how to build her own water filter for cheap and it works great! I really think she’s on to something.”

“That’s awesome,” said Aerith. “Anything else going on?”

“Yeah… Uncle Godo called this morning. Yuffie ran away again.”

“Oh, no!”

“Yup. Apparently she used her ninja skills to steal a couple thousand Gil this time. And we’re pretty sure she’s on her way here.”

“Oh, man! You’re gonna have your hands full!”

“I know it. I guess she’s going to have to stay with me, but I don’t really have room.”

“I’m so sorry. Wish I could help, but there’s no way on this Planet my mom will let me bring a ninja to the house. Especially after… you know.”

Tifa laughed nervously. “It’s okay. So, how about you?”

“Oh, you know… the usual.” Aerith looked up at the sky for a moment with a wistful sigh that Tifa knew all too well, and her heart sank. “I want to move forward, but… I’m stuck. It’s so frustrating.” She paused as if she wanted to say more, then shook her head dismissively. “Anyway, guess what? Everybody’s going crazy over the white lilies this month. I’ve sold almost a hundred. Can you believe it?”

“Easily,” said Tifa, relieved that Aerith had decided to change the subject. “You know they’re my favorite.”

“Yep, and you’ve got great taste! I’m going to have to plant some more soon. Want to help?”

“Oh, I’d love to… but I just don’t know when I’ll find the time. I need to work as many hours as I can. Barret is… well…” Tifa swallowed. “I have a feeling he’s planning something… big.”

She said nothing more, but Aerith understood. Tifa didn’t like to go into much detail about her group’s activities. She was comfortable enough putting up posters and handing out pamphlets, but when it came down to fighting, she was quick to get cold feet.

The two girls approached the square and walked together around the fountain, still arm in arm, now chatting about the latest books they’d been reading. They shared a love of classical novels, particularly romantic ones that were set in the era of the Ancients.

“Have you seen the latest episode of _Maidens_ yet?” Aerith asked suddenly, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“No.” Tifa giggled and blushed a little. _Maidens of Gongaga_ was a costume drama currently running on Shinra’s Classics channel, and Aerith was obsessed with it. Tifa enjoyed it, too, but she rarely had time to watch the episodes when they aired. The last time she’d gotten to spend the night at Aerith’s house, they’d binged the entire second season on StreamNet. A few scenes had been rather… steamy.

“Oh, you have to see it! The ballroom scene between Charles and Theodosia is just perfect! The looks, the tension… ahh, swoon-worthy!” Aerith fluttered her eyelids and fanned herself with one hand. “And then, when he tries to confess—”

“Eek! Don’t tell me!” Tifa clapped her hands over her ears. “La la la la la…”

“Sorry!” Aerith laughed. “We’ll watch it at my place sometime. Did you know they film it on location right there, in Gongaga?”

“Uh huh.” Tifa’s stomach turned slightly. Aerith seemed to relish any opportunity to say that ridiculous name, since she couldn’t bring herself to say another.

“And you can actually tour the set in between filming… and see all the costumes… oh, I would just _die!”_ Aerith sighed dreamily.

Tifa smiled as they stepped into the shade beneath the familiar striped awning that marked the entrance to the popular Eighth Street Café. It wasn’t too busy today; the line was only halfway to the door. “I think it would be fun to dress up like that,” she mused. “Just once.”

“Oh, Tifa!” Aerith put her hand to her mouth. “You would look positively _stunning!”_

“So would you!”

“Aw, thanks… but I haven’t got your sultry dark eyes. Or your figure.”

“Oh, stop it.” Tifa shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. Aerith was too modest. With her exquisite face and large, striking green eyes, she had the kind of ethereal, otherworldly beauty that one associated with fairy-tale princesses. Tifa thought her own looks were quite ordinary in comparison.

“Whatever,” said Aerith, rolling her eyes and smirking at her before she turned her gaze to the menu above the counter. “Hey, you wanna share the Del Sol fish tacos? My treat.”

“Oh, Aerith, but—”

“No buts! Midgar is full of flowers, and my wallet’s full of money! Besides, I owe you one for suggesting white lilies in December.”

Tifa sighed, knowing it was useless to argue. She stood behind her friend as she placed their order, staring absently at the large pink ribbon that was tied in a floppy bow at the top of her long, golden-brown braid. It was an accessory normally worn by girls less than half her age, but Aerith never went anywhere without it.

And Tifa, who knew exactly why, suddenly began to feel cold.

Because if it hadn’t been for Zack, Aerith wouldn’t be… well, _Aerith._

Tifa and Aerith had met completely by chance. About four years ago, Biggs had been volunteering at the Leaf House, an orphanage in the Sector Five slums, and had just happened to mention a girl who’d figured out how to grow flowers there and was now selling them all over Midgar. Al, one of their teammates, had just happened to be part of that conversation, and he also just happened to be a shameless flirt. One day not long afterward, he’d shown up at Seventh Heaven with a bouquet of beautiful flowers for Tifa.

Tifa, according to form, had turned them down, which had amused Barret to no end. But when Al had tried the same thing with Jessie a few weeks later—and succeeded—Tifa, who actually loved flowers, had begged her friend to ask him where he’d gotten them from. She’d been so intrigued by the story that before another week had passed, she had purchased her very first train ticket to topside Sector One. It was there, right in front of Loveless Theater, that she’d first laid eyes on the mysterious flower girl, whose captivating smile and cheerful disposition could never quite disguise the sadness in her eyes.

The two girls had connected instantly. Both of them orphans, both of their lives touched by tragedy, it hadn’t taken them long to discover that they had a mutual acquaintance. Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, Aerith’s almost-boyfriend, was the one who’d been present at the destruction of Tifa’s hometown.

Shinra, Mako reactors, SOLDIER… Tifa had hated them all with a passion, and still did. The pain had been fresh. But none of it had really been Zack’s fault, and she’d been pleased to learn exactly what that charming young man—the one she’d been so disappointed to see—had meant to her new friend. The revelation had been bittersweet for both of them.

A few months ago, after her eighty-ninth letter had gone unanswered, Aerith had finally stopped writing to him. She rarely spoke about him these days… not directly, anyway. But she still echoed so much of him—his phrases, his mannerisms, even his outgoing personality seemed to have become ingrained in her psyche. She still wore pink, every day. And she still wore the ribbon.

“Tifa?”

“Huh?” Tifa blinked a few times. Aerith was standing in front of her, holding a plastic tray piled high with tacos and drinks, a frown creasing her smooth white brow. “What?”

“Oh, nothing. Just looked like you were a thousand miles away.”

Tifa fervently hoped she wasn’t blushing. She was terrible at hiding her emotions, but she’d always been good at putting on a cheerful face and pretending everything was all right. She hated making people worry.

“Just daydreaming a little,” she said, with a forced giggle. “That’s all.”

“Mmm.” Aerith smiled archly. “About anyone in particular?”

 _Whoops_ _._ She’d walked right into that one. “It’s a secret,” she said playfully. “Locked deep inside my heart.”

“Oh, I know all about _that_ secret, Miss Lockhart,” said Aerith, laughing as she led Tifa to a round patio-style table. “A cute blond boy and a promise under the stars, right?”

Tifa sighed, now blushing for real. “I haven’t dreamed _that_ dream in a long time, to be honest.”

“Oh. Someone new, then?”

“No—it’s not even _about_ that. It’s…” Tifa shook her head.

“It’s okay. I know you’ve got a lot going on right now. It’s my fault for having a one-track mind.” Aerith gave a short laugh. “You know, sometimes I can’t help thinking you and I are going to end up being little old ladies together. No men in our lives, just the two of us with our noses stuck in our books, drinking our tea, dreaming our silly little dreams.”

“Whoever said they were silly?” said Tifa, reaching across the table to squeeze Aerith’s hand. “Or little?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Tifa works out to in this chapter is “Midgar Blues” by Mitsuto Suzuki and it’s part of the Remake OST. I don’t know who to credit for the English lyrics.


	2. Dangerous Amusements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa has her hands full with a certain teenage ninja. An AVALANCHE meeting suddenly takes an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “So,” Biggs was saying, “let’s return to the matter at hand. What to do about Zack Fair?”
> 
> “Will you give it a rest?” moaned Jessie. “I’m sick of talking about him. I don’t think I ever want to hear his name again.”

It was about six minutes past three o’clock when Tifa let herself in through the front doors of Seventh Heaven once more, knowing she wouldn’t leave there for close to ten more hours. Then it would be off to bed for a scant five hours before she’d have to get up and do it all again. Having such a crammed schedule was exhausting, but she was used to it. 

At least she’d had a shower. Finally. When she’d gotten back to her apartment after the train ride home, the water had cleared up just enough to make it tolerable, and Tifa had wasted no time. Her hair was still dripping at the ends, but she didn’t care. It would be dry enough by the time she started her evening shift.

She stepped up to the old Volcano Bombs pinball machine in a corner near the bar and turned her key in the lock next to the coin acceptor. A row of sevens flashed across the scoreboard, and she felt the familiar sensation of her feet sinking below the floor, followed by the rest of her. The secret elevator had been installed in place of the old staircase behind the bar shortly after Barret had originally purchased the building, five years ago. The quirky pinball machine entrance had been Jessie’s idea.

Slowly she descended into the unfinished basement that her cell of AVALANCHE used as a hideout. Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, and Nellie were already there, lounging on worn leather armchairs and the legendary plaid couch, a flea market find that had been a fixture there ever since the room had been built.

“Hey, Tifa,” said Biggs, looking up at her from his spot next to Jessie. “You seen Barret?”

“No.” Tifa shook her head as she found herself a chair and sat down. “Maybe he’s still dropping off Marlene.”

“Who’s supposed to be watching her today?”

“Luca, I think. Betty got sick, so she couldn’t go over there.”

“Ah.”

“So… sounds like Barret’s ready to take this to the next level,” Wedge said quietly, leaning forward as he looked around at the others. “You think our man Zack is the one for the job?”

Jessie threw up her hands. “What do you mean, _our_ man Zack? If we don’t act soon, he’ll be out of here before we ever get a chance to meet him.”

Wedge looked confused. “But—”

“Hmm,” Biggs said loudly, rubbing his chin. “Why don’t you ask Katie how she heard about him?”

Jessie sighed. “She said Gwen was talking about him yesterday. He did a job for her cousin Ralph over in Sector Eight, and she told him to send him our way. Killed some monsters in an abandoned warehouse.”

“Well, then why don’t you talk to Gwen?”

Jessie made a face. “I don’t talk to that woman. She never does _me_ any favors.”

“Then why don’t we do _her_ a favor, and introduce Zack to her?”

“What? How can we do that when we don’t even know him?”

“Jessie—” Wedge tried again.

“What do you think, Nellie?” Biggs turned to her.

“Uh…” Nellie shrugged.

Round and round they went. Her reservations about the SOLDIER notwithstanding, Tifa was watching the scene with tight-lipped amusement. Biggs absolutely loved to get a rise out of Jessie. They had dated once, a long time ago, but had eventually decided they were better as friends. Apparently he was too serious and she was too big of a flirt. Or something like that.

“So,” Biggs was saying, “let’s return to the matter at hand. What to do about Zack Fair?”

“Will you give it a rest?” moaned Jessie. “I’m sick of talking about him. I don’t think I ever want to hear his name again.”

“Oh, no… that’s too bad,” Biggs deadpanned. “Wish I would’ve known, or Wedge and I wouldn’t have gone all the way up to Sector Two today to meet the guy. But I guess there’s no escaping him now. Wymer has a job for him first thing in the morning.”

Jessie’s jaw dropped. So did Tifa’s.

“Biggs!” yelled Wedge, hurling a chair cushion at him. “You’re the worst!”

“You asshole!” Jessie threw her arms around Biggs and kissed him on the cheek, then shoved him onto the floor. She and Nellie began to giggle hysterically. Wedge was laughing, too, and even Tifa cracked a smile.

“What the hell is goin’ on in here?” boomed a deep, gravelly voice.

“Oh, hey, Barret!” said Tifa as the others scrambled back into their seats.

Barret Wallace stepped off the elevator and stood facing his team. At six and a half feet tall and nearly as broad, he seemed like more of a tank than a man, an impression furthered by the military vest and cargo pants he always wore—not to mention the machine gun that was permanently grafted onto his right arm. He cut an intimidating figure in any crowd, and he was more than capable of emptying the bar whenever the customers got too rowdy.

Barret began to pace the room in his typical animated fashion, and Tifa felt her heart pound inside her chest, knowing what was coming.

“So. Y’all ready to get down to business? ’Cause I got some serious business for ya.”

“Yes, sir!” said Jessie with enthusiasm. The others voiced their agreement.

“Well, here it is!” Barret kept pacing around, arms spread wide, gesturing with one massive fist as he spoke. “Y’all know Shinra’s been suckin’ our planet dry for far too long. It’s dyin’, slowly but surely. Everything around us is all dust and ashes, for miles and miles… and if we don’t do somethin’ drastic, there’s gonna be nothin’ left!”

Tifa saw Biggs and Jessie exchange a glance. They were all used to Barret’s impassioned speeches.

“It’s time for us to stop foolin’ around and show ’em what we’re really made of!” Barret thundered on. “Time to hit ’em where it hurts!” He pounded his prosthetic wrist into his palm. “We’re gonna shut down those damn Mako reactors, one by one!”

“Shut… down?” Tifa blinked a few times. “You mean, disable them from within?”

“Nah! More like, blow ’em sky high!” Barret punched the air. “That’ll send those fools the right message!”

An excited murmur began to fill the room.

“Sure, we’ve never done somethin’ like this before. Sure, it’s gonna be dangerous. But we’ve been through a lot together. The break with HQ didn’t slow us down a bit. I have faith in y’all. I know we can do this!”

The team cheered. Tifa gave a nod.

“Reactor One’s gonna be our first target,” Barret declared. “Biggs, I want you ready with an infiltration strategy for tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Copy.”

“Wedge, you’ll be in charge of our escape route. And try to keep HQ off our backs.”

“You got it!”

“Jessie, we’re gonna need your skills to build us a bomb. I want an explosion big enough to destroy the reactor, but with minimal damage to surrounding areas.”

Jessie gave a nod and a thumbs-up. “Yes, sir!”

“Nellie, you know what to do. Make sure the team has everything they need. Weapons, ammo, materials, the whole deal.”

“I’m on it.”

“And Tifa, I’m gonna need you with me on the front lines when we break in there.”

“I…” Tifa swallowed, feeling the weight of everyone’s gazes upon her. “O-okay.”

“C’mon, Tifa,” Barret pressed, sensing her unease. “You with us or not?”

Tifa gave a long sigh and lowered her head, her face half-hidden behind her dark curtain of hair.

“Yes,” she said softly. “I want to help. I really do want to make a difference. I just… I wish there could be some other way.”

“Of course there’s gonna be a few casualties.” Barret dismissed them with a wave of one giant arm. “Small sacrifice when it comes to the whole planet, though. Gotta keep our eyes on the big picture.”

“Right,” Tifa managed, nodding weakly.

“Well, if Tifa’s not all in, I’ve got a proposition for you, Barret.” Jessie sat up in her seat. “I think it’s time we hired someone. A professional fighter.”

“Oh, yeah? That in the budget, Tifa?”

Tifa colored. “If we can stretch things a bit, maybe.”

Barret turned back to Jessie. “You got someone in mind?”

Suddenly looking nervous, Jessie appealed silently to Biggs, who began, “There’s a new merc in town. Former SOLDIER, First Class. Wedge and I just met him today.”

“Former, you said?” Barret scowled. “Still don’t like the sound of it. How do you know the Shinra ain’t still got him on a leash?”

“He’s been making good money on his own so far, fighting monsters and stuff down here in the slums,” said Wedge. “And he’s got himself a pretty sweet place on the upper plate.”

“Wymer’s already hired him to take care of some drakes that flew into the Talagger factory the other day,” Biggs added.

“Eh, that’s all well and good, but I don’t know the guy from old man Shinra himself,” said Barret. “I need to see for myself if he’s the real deal.”

“He’s supposed to meet Wymer first thing tomorrow morning, at Scrap Boulevard,” said Jessie. “Let’s all go out there together!”

“What? That’s gonna look suspicious as hell! Y’all better keep it low-key!”

“Oh, sorry.” Jessie blushed. “How about if I just go and talk to him, then? Invite him over here for a drink later?”

Tifa felt the blood drain from her face.

“Sure,” said Barret. “Whatever. But you better not run your mouth too much.”

“I’ll bet Tifa’d like to meet him, too.” Jessie cast a sly glance in her direction. “Huh, Tifa?”

“Of course,” Tifa said brightly, forcing her stiff lips into a smile. _Might as well get it over with…_

*^*^*^*^*

But Zack Fair, it transpired, was a tougher fish to catch than Biggs and Wedge had made it seem. At about seven-thirty the next morning, Tifa was tidying up behind the bar during a lull in the breakfast rush when Jessie suddenly stormed in, Nellie close behind.

“He’s already _done!”_ she lamented, forgetting to lower her voice; fortunately, the handful of customers paid her no mind. “Wymer said he left an hour ago!”

Tifa wanted to sink into a chair with relief, but she did her best to hide it. “Aw, that’s too bad,” she attempted to commiserate, stacking a few dirty plates. “Does Wymer have him booked for any more work?”

“Not yet. He seems to have done a pretty thorough job.”

“Well, that’s something positive.” Tifa began to pour a few cups of coffee. “Tell Barret about it.”

“I will.” Jessie reached for the white cup Tifa slid to her and peered curiously at it. “Hey, is this fresh?”

“Of course! Didn’t you see my new sign?” Tifa gestured with one sweeping arm toward her chalkboard. In bold letters, it now read:

_Seventh Heaven is proud to offer_

_FILTERED WATER_

_to our valued customers!_

_Ask about your very own_

_PureStream filter today!_

_Now accepting pre-orders._

“Oh, Tifa, that’s perfect!” Jessie pumped her fists. “Guess I’d better get busy, then! Wait ’til we tell Barret!”

But no more opportunities to discuss filters nor the Ex-SOLDIER came their way that afternoon. The mission was on everyone’s lips, and Barret and Biggs fully dominated the meeting, going over the various security measures Shinra had in place that they would have to overcome. In addition to building the bomb and programming its detonation sequence, Jessie was tasked with creating fake IDs for the team so they wouldn’t be caught at railway checkpoints. There would also be plenty of armed guards, dogs, lasers, and high-tech machines barring the way to and from the reactor. Tifa felt her anxiety growing.

Before she had time to think about it too much, a young, feisty, and very loud distraction arrived right in the middle of her shift that evening.

Yuffie Kisaragi stood just an inch or two over five feet, but she walked into Seventh Heaven as if she were a towering goddess. Her short black hair was styled in a bob, a striped headband peeping through her heavy bangs, and she had on a cropped orange turtleneck sweater with the sleeves cut off and tan shorts that she’d left unbuttoned at the top, so that they hung low on her narrow hips. She looked like a fairly typical teenager, with the exception of the oversized gauntlet that ran the whole length of her left arm and the giant metal pinwheel-shaped thing she carried under her right.

Tifa smiled as she approached, holding out her arms. “Hi, Yuffie!”

“Hey, Tifa!” Yuffie pecked her cousin on the cheek and seated herself at the bar, right in between two customers who were giving her strange looks. “I’m gonna be staying with you for a while, okay?” She dumped her black duffel bag on the floor without waiting for an answer. “How do you like my new gear?”

“It’s… it’s, uh… impressive.” Tifa decided not to ask any probing questions as she eyed the metal weapon Yuffie was holding. It looked vicious. “What do you call that?”

“It’s a Shuriken. I’m a ninja, can’t you tell?”

“Of course.” Tifa stifled a smile. “But aren’t ninjas supposed to be… quiet? And stealthy?”

“Oh, just wait ’til you see me in action! I’m as stealthy as a panther.” Yuffie lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. “I lie in wait, noiseless, shrouded in shadow… and then… I pounce!” She slapped the countertop, and the man next to her spit out his drink.

“Cool! You can show me tomorrow.” Tifa tried not to sound too patronizing; she was used to talking to Barret’s daughter Marlene, who was four. “You must be hungry. What can I get you?”

The cousins chatted while Yuffie ate. After putting away a double bacon cheeseburger, a plate of taquitos, a Banora White apple, a bag of popcorn, and a chocolate milkshake, the ninja teen started to look a bit droopy. She was staring with glazed eyes at _The Adventures of Stamp_ on the TV behind the bar and Tifa worried that she might slide off her seat and guillotine herself on the Shuriken.

“Here,” she said, removing her apartment key from the ring at her hip and handing it to Yuffie. “I live at Stargazer Heights, second floor, room 201. You go and get some sleep, okay?”

“Thanks,” Yuffie mumbled through a yawn, a chocolate smear on her cheek. “But where will you sleep?”

“Oh, I’ll figure something out.”

Early the next morning, Tifa picked herself up off the floor, rubbed her aching back, glared at Yuffie’s spread-eagled form on the bed, and decided she was going to have a talk with Marle about that empty apartment next door.

 _After_ she had a nap.

*^*^*^*^*

“Gawd, Tifa! How do you stand it, being stuck in here all day long? This place is so boring!”

Tifa shook her head, smiling to herself. In the hour since they’d arrived, Yuffie had thrown darts until she’d beaten Wedge’s high score, fiddled with the Volcano Bombs for another twenty minutes or so, and flipped through several tunes on the old jukebox, finally settling on _Hip Hop de Chocobo,_ which she’d danced to with gusto _._ Then she had started doing weird little tricks with her Shuriken until Tifa made her put it away, as customers had mysteriously started disappearing. She was now slumped over the bar again, working her way through a stack of buttermilk pancakes and watching _The Young and the Breathless._

“I’m not here _all_ day. I close down at eleven o’clock, and I’m usually out of here before noon. Then I have to be back at… three.”

“Wow. That’s still, like, all day!”

“Oh, it’s not so bad.”

But Tifa was still glad for the diversion that arrived just then in the form of Jessie and Nellie, bursting through the doors.

“Guess what, Tifa?” Jessie’s eyes sparkled as she leaned against the bar. “We saw Zack! We actually saw him!”

“Just the back of him, though,” said Nellie. “From the top of the watch tower.”

“But the back of him looked nice…” Jessie giggled.

“Couldn’t see much with that giant sword blocking the view,” sighed Nellie. “Just a pair of gorgeous muscled arms and long, spiky black hair.”

“Too bad you weren’t there, Tifa!”

Tifa couldn’t speak. Her mouth had gone dry.

_Yep. That’s definitely him._

“Who’s Zack?” Yuffie asked, before the girls could tease her dumbstruck cousin further.

“Only the hottest guy in all of Midgar!” Jessie looked at the dark-haired teen and did a double take. “Oh! You must be Yuffie! Nice to see you again. Tifa told us you were coming.”

“Yep, that’s me! Yuffie Kisaragi, Wutai’s greatest warrior!” She flashed her Shuriken at the girls.

“Uh… that’s great!” Jessie looked to Tifa for help.

“Yuffie, please put that down,” Tifa reminded her gently.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. “Yes, _Mom.”_

The chimes jingled again and Biggs and Wedge appeared. Tifa had regained her composure enough to introduce Yuffie to them.

“Hi, Yuffie!” said Wedge, looking at her with surprise. “Wow, you’ve really—I mean, you’re—”

“I’m a ninja!” Yuffie stood up and spread out her arms, showing off her gear… and her other assets. “See?”

“Yeah.” Wedge glanced off to the side, looking a little pink in the cheeks. “Uh… want to come check out Sector Seven with me? I told Tifa I’d show you around.”

“Sure! Anything to get out of this boring joint!” Yuffie looked back at her soggy, half-eaten pancakes. “As soon as I finish these, though. They’re incredible!”

“Nobody beats Tifa’s cooking!” Wedge agreed, patting his stomach. “How ’bout a plate for me, too, Tifa? With sausage and orange juice and a chocolate chip muffin.”

“Ooh, chocolate chip muffins?” Yuffie echoed with delight. “I’ll have one, too!”

“How long are you staying?” Biggs asked her kindly.

“I dunno,” said Yuffie through a mouthful of pancakes. “As long as I feel like it.”

“As long as you’re not too bored here,” Tifa added with a smile.

“I’m a ninja, remember?” Yuffie grinned widely. “I’ve got ways of amusing myself.”

Tifa and Biggs looked at each other with a sense of impending disaster.

“So…” Biggs watched Yuffie leave with Wedge after they’d finished eating, scratching the back of his head. “How _does_ a teenage ninja amuse herself in the slums of Midgar?”

Tifa found out the answer to that question rather quickly.

“So, did you guys have fun?” she asked when the two of them returned, a couple of hours later.

“Yeah!” said Yuffie, immediately jumping onto a stool and spinning herself around.

“Uh… yeah,” Wedge repeated distractedly, a mixture of doubt and astonishment on his pudgy face.

“There’s a huge scrap yard out there and it’s full of monsters! Wererats and Doomrats!” Yuffie said this as if they’d discovered buried treasure. “Wedge, tell her what I did!”

“Uh…” Wedge shifted his gaze. “She wanted to explore the area, but there were a couple of Shinra guards blocking the gate. So—”

“I snuck past ’em! Vanished in a cloud of smoke!”

“And flew up through the air,” said Wedge, sounding awed. “Right over the fence!”

“It was so awesome, Tifa! I wish you could’ve seen!”

“Sorry I missed it,” Tifa said with a chuckle. “But, Yuffie, you can’t be messing around with the Shinra guards like that.”

“I came right back!”

“Fine, but… just don’t get on their bad side, okay? You could get us—you could get yourself in serious trouble.”

“Oh, I know all _about_ Shinra,” Yuffie muttered darkly.

“Good.” Tifa was ready to change the subject. “So, what else did you guys do?”

Everything, from the sound of it. They’d explored the streets and alleyways, climbed up the Watch Tower, checked out the cat shelter, visited a few food stalls to sample chicken kebabs on sword-shaped skewers, colorful balls of mochi ice cream, and fried marche—whatever that was—and peeked into various shops and boutiques. Not surprisingly, Yuffie’s favorite had been the Weapons Shop.

“Well, I better go,” Wedge said at last. “See you later, Tifa! Yuffie!” He grinned shyly and headed for the door.

“Bye, Wedge! And thanks again!” Tifa waved at him, then picked up a tray and went to clear a table some customers had just left.

“He sure is nice,” Yuffie said, after Wedge had gone.

“Oh, he is.” Tifa smiled. “Wedge is the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet.”

It was now a few minutes after ten o’clock. The bar was empty and refreshingly quiet. The only sounds were the low murmur of the sports game on TV and the soft piano music playing on the jukebox, a romantic piece Tifa had often played in her teenage years, when she’d actually had her own piano. As always, the mellow tune lifted her spirits, and she began to hum under her breath, dreaming about her hometown and days gone by.

“So, who’s this hot guy your friends were talking about?” Yuffie asked suddenly.

“Huh?” Tifa looked over her shoulder, startled.

“You know. The one with the big sword.”

“Oh, you mean Zack.” Tifa set down the tray, suddenly feeling cold. “He’s a… a local mercenary.”

“What’s he do?”

“Oh, you know, odd jobs here and there, all over town. Usually dangerous jobs that no one else wants to do.”

“Really?” Yuffie’s dark eyes were wide with a frightening amount of glee. “That sounds like fun! And he gets paid for it, too?”

“Uh… yeah.” Tifa suddenly wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

“That’s what _I’m_ gonna do!” Yuffie jumped up and did a little twirl in the air. “Dangerous jobs! The more dangerous, the better! And they can pay me in Materia!”

“Whoa.” Tifa took a step backward, stretching out her hands. “Yuffie, your dad would throw me to a pack of Doomrats if I let you get involved in anything dangerous.”

“Oh, puh- _lease_ ,” Yuffie scoffed. “Godo would just as soon throw _me_ to a pack of Doomrats. He doesn’t give a crap what I do. Besides, he knows I can take care of myself.”

Tifa sighed. That last bit was true.

“Okay,” she said. “I know I can’t stop you, anyway. Just… be careful, all right? Don’t do anything extreme.”

“I’m always careful!” Yuffie crowed, skipping out through the doors.

Just before closing time, right as Tifa was getting off a phone call, the teenage ninja came stomping back into Seventh Heaven, looking exasperated.

“Find any dangerous jobs?” Tifa asked her, trying not to smile.

Yuffie groaned and dropped onto a stool. “Yeah, if you count getting a cat to come down off the roof. And the pay _sucked_. She gave me a Moogle Medal, for pete’s sake.”

“You need to make some connections,” said Tifa. “Why don’t you join the neighborhood watch, with Biggs and Wedge?”

“No way! I’m not workin’ for free!”

Tifa thought for a moment. “I’ve got a not-so-dangerous job for you, then.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Barret needs someone to watch Marlene this afternoon, from two-thirty to four-thirty. My friend Luca was going to do it, but she just called to cancel. He’ll pay you thirty Gil.”

“Oh, okay.” Yuffie gave a long sigh, but then a spark of mischief leaped into her eyes. “I’ll take her to play in the scrap yard so I can protect her from the Doomrats!”

_“Yuffie!”_

“Geez, Tifa! I’m just kidding!”

*^*^*^*^*

Once she’d closed the bar for the afternoon, Tifa decided not to worry too much about what Yuffie was doing. The only thing she cared about was getting back to her apartment and crashing for a couple of hours before the AVALANCHE meeting. But before she headed upstairs, she knocked on Marle’s door on the first floor to discuss certain sleeping arrangements.

She was pleasantly shocked when the landlady offered to let Yuffie stay in Room 202 free of charge.

“Least I could do for my favorite granddaughter!” Marle smiled warmly.

“It’s too much,” Tifa said, shaking her head. “At least let me pay you half.”

“No, I insist. I’d rather put one of your relatives in there than some other young hoodlum I’ve never met. Now go and get some rest, dear!”

*^*^*^*^*

Later that afternoon, Tifa returned to Seventh Heaven somewhat refreshed from her nap, but with her thoughts still in turmoil. Feeling a little guilty about her poorly concealed lack of enthusiam at the past two meetings, she decided to bring down a plate of chewy peanut butter cookies she’d baked recently, balancing it carefully as she turned the key to start the elevator’s descent.

This time, she was the first to arrive. She set down the plate on the large table in the middle of the room, noticing several rough pencil drawings spread out on it—seemed that Biggs had already mapped out all the reactor entrances and exits. They were getting closer… this was really happening…

The elevator began to vibrate and grind once more. Tifa turned around to see Jessie and Nellie sink into view.

“Mmm, cookies!” Nellie immediately helped herself to one. “Thanks, Tifa!”

“You’re welcome!” Tifa glanced down at the plate and frowned. “I could have sworn I brought a few more, though…”

Gradually the rest of the team began to drift in, Wedge snatching a few cookies as he walked by, and Barret started the meeting promptly at three.

The small room was humming with excitement. Jessie had found instructions for building exactly the kind of bomb they needed and already had Nellie procuring a few materials, though Tifa knew she’d also been hard at work building water filters.

While on his tour around the sector with Yuffie earlier, Wedge had been keeping his eyes and ears open for any murmurings about AVALANCHE… or Shinra. No news was good news.

At last, they all gathered around the table as Biggs walked them through his detailed plan for entering the reactor, from start to finish. There were heated arguments at certain points.

“Climbin’ all those ladders? Man, that’s gonna be so damn slow!” Barret protested, and Tifa saw his point—after all, he only had one hand. “Why don’t you have us take that elevator instead?” He stabbed the map with a finger.

“Nope.” Biggs shook his head. “Too many guards.”

“Nah, Tifa and I can take ’em down!”

Tifa sighed. “I’d much rather go around them, to be honest.”

“C’mon, Tifa! We know you can kick all the ass!”

“It’s not that,” she argued. “The more of them that see us, the higher our chances of getting caught.”

Barret laughed. “They can’t see us if they’re dead!”

Tifa shook her head, smiling wryly. “You know, Barret, blowing up everything in sight isn’t always the answer.”

“Heh. Always works for me!”

“I say we stick to the plan,” said Biggs, in a tone of forced calm. “It’s much less risky if we do it the way I laid out. We need to approach this with the utmost caution.”

“To hell with caution!” Barret pounded the table, and cookies flew. “We need to do some damage!”

“Then we need a military-trained fighter!” cried Jessie.

“Nope!” sang a familiar voice. “You guys need… a NINJA!”

There was a _poof_ —and there, materializing in a cloud of smoke, stood Yuffie in full gear, with a cookie in her hand and a smug smile on her face.

Tifa gaped at her in horror.

“Yuffie! How—”

“The hell is goin’ on?” Barret roared. “You’ve got no business comin’ in here, kid! This is a private meeting!”

“Don’t call me kid, old man!”

“Where the hell is Marlene?”

Yuffie shrugged. “At Betty’s house. Her mom said she could stay there, so I left.”

“How did you get in here?” Tifa demanded.

“Piece of cake. Just followed _you_.”

The room fell silent.

“Tifa!” Barret looked stricken. “How could you be so careless?”

“I’m so sorry,” Tifa said, unable to meet his eyes. “I really didn’t think I was being followed. I checked all the doors and windows like I always do.”

“It’s because of my sick ninja skills, that’s why!” Yuffie didn’t seem at all affected by her cousin’s distress. “That’s why you guys need me on your team!”

“No.” Nellie was shaking her head. “What we need is a professional, not a kid who sneaks around playing ninja.”

“I _am_ a professional! I just haven’t made any money yet!”

Jessie and Nellie looked at each other and smirked.

“Come _on!_ I wanna join! I wanna bomb Shinra! I’d be in and out of there so fast—”

“No,” said Tifa. “Not happening.”

“Fine. Your loss.” Yuffie pouted. “So why don’t you just hire that hottie Zack already?”

“Because we need to get to know him first,” said Biggs, unruffled by the word _hottie_. “We can’t just hire anyone for a job like this. He needs to be trustworthy.”

“And we can’t even get a hold of the guy anymore,” added Wedge. “He doesn’t have a phone, and he’s never home. Just those weird friends he stays with.”

“Weird friends?” Jessie’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah. Two girls and another guy. And they’re all a little… well…” Wedge twirled a finger next to his ear.

Biggs nodded. “They haven’t exactly invited us over for tea.”

“Well, _duh!”_ said Yuffie, looking smugly around the room. “You’re going about it all wrong. You have to invite them all over _here!_ Throw a party! No… a _dance!”_

“A dance!” Jessie clapped her hands together. “Of course! That’s a brilliant idea! A dance right here at the bar!”

“A country dance!” said Yuffie. “This place is perfect for it! With hats and boots and two-stepping—”

“And smoked ribs,” Wedge broke in excitedly, “and potato salad and peach cobbler and a keg of beer—

“And hay bales and wagon wheels and Chocobo—”

“Hold on just a damn minute!” Barret flung out an arm. “Who’s payin’ for all this?”

“I will!” cried Jessie.

Everyone looked at her.

“I’ve built about twenty more filters, and Tifa’s already got a waiting list!” she bubbled. “We’re gonna install them all over Sector Seven! No more brown water in our sinks! No more rotten egg smell!”

“Yeah! I’ll help!” cheered Yuffie. “If…” She narrowed her eyes. “You got any Materia?”

“Hmm… I might have an old Barrier lying around somewhere.” Jessie winked at her.

“Woo-hoo!” Yuffie was bouncing all over the room. “I’ll take care of the decorations! And the music! And I’m gonna dance with Zack, and Wedge, and Biggs too, and _all_ the guys!”

“Uh, Yuffie… this is a bar, and we cater to a certain clientele,” said Biggs. “I think you might be a bit young for them.”

“Hey! I may be the youngest one here, but I’m also the hottest! They’ll all be dyin’ to dance with a babe like me!”

Biggs looked as if he were resisting the urge to smack his forehead.

“Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!” Jessie was jumping up and down. “Please, Barret? Can we?”

“Please? Please?” Nellie and Wedge crowded in next to her, and the three of them aimed big-eyed stares up at their leader as if they were three kids begging their dad for ice cream.

“Well…” Barret’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Guess it’s fine with me, so long as Tifa don’t mind.”

The row of pleading puppy eyes shifted at once to Tifa, who crossed her arms and put on a serious face. Everyone held their breath.

“I don’t mind,” she said with a smile, though her stomach was churning. “You’re right. It’ll be fun. I’ll work the bar and take care of the food. Just promise me you’ll all stay sober enough to help Yuffie clean up afterward.”

“Me? Clean up? What?” Yuffie shot Tifa a look.

“You’re underage, kiddo,” Nellie reminded her. “You’ll be one hundred percent sober, no matter what.”

Jessie let out a long sigh. “I’ll do it,” she said, as the others nodded their agreement. “You’re the best, Tifa!”

“No problem,” said Tifa. “Now, for the big question… are they going to come?”

“I’ll take the next train up and invite them personally,” Wedge volunteered.

“Thanks!” Tifa thought quickly. “And… I want to invite Aerith, too. We might decide to spend the night at her place afterward, so I’ll need you to cover me the next morning, Nellie. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

“Ooooh, I can’t wait!” Yuffie squealed, linking arms with Wedge and Jessie as they lined up to get on the elevator. “Time to start planning this party!”

“Hey, don’t forget!” Barret called after them. “The mission comes first!”

“Well, I’m not _on_ the mission,” Yuffie retorted. “So I guess I’ll just do whatever I want.”

“ _Your_ mission,” growled Barret, “is to keep your damn mouth shut!”

“Yeah, as soon as you let me join AVALANCHE!”

Barret’s eyes went wide behind his sunglasses. He bared his teeth and took a threatening step toward Yuffie, who defiantly stood her ground. All were silent as the two stared each other down.

“Awright.” Barret suddenly had an evil grin on his lips. “You’re in.”

Yuffie gasped. “Really?”

“Yup. You’re Tifa’s new kitchen helper. Your first shift starts in five minutes!”

“Aw, geez!”

*^*^*^*^*

Tifa opened the doors of Seventh Heaven at five o’clock sharp, and the crowd of work-weary men who’d been lined up outside, talking loudly as they checked their watches, came pouring in. The seats at the bar were filled within minutes.

Not for nothing was Seventh Heaven the most popular watering hole in the Sector Seven slums. Wedge hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d complimented Tifa’s cooking. She kept her menu simple, but every mouthwatering dish she turned out, from cheesy breakfast omelets to juicy burgers to crisp, savory stir-fries, had her customers coming back for more.

But as good as Tifa’s cooking was, it wasn’t truly the main selling point. Her bartending skills, though honed in just the two years since she’d turned eighteen, the legal age in Midgar, were legendary. Some said it was the drinks, refreshing with a bite, mixed from the finest ingredients to be had in the slums. Even so, everyone knew the drinks wouldn’t be half as attractive if they weren’t served by Tifa herself.

Tifa didn’t like to think about this too much. She enjoyed bartending, loved putting smiles on people’s faces, but it was still just a job to her, a way to support herself while providing the primary source of funds for their cell of AVALANCHE. She saw herself as merely a performer. Her looks were just a part of the experience—and customers definitely looked. She just wouldn’t indulge anything beyond looking.

Tonight, in her usual place behind the bar, she was busy as usual, but not fully engaged in the friendly banter and almost-but-not-quite-flirting that were her custom.

Yuffie was grudgingly doing her best to help, which wasn’t much. Because of her age, she could only serve food and work in the kitchen on a very basic level, queuing up dishes and putting together burgers and sandwiches. She was still sulking a bit about the stern talking-to she’d gotten from both Barret and Tifa, down in the hideout. She’d also been told to stow away the ninja gear, which was making her even more sulky.

Jessie and Nellie were hanging around as well, sipping cocktails as they anxiously waited for Wedge to return from his trip to Sector Two. Some time after six o’clock, he finally came through the doors with a huge smile on his face.

“He was there! He wants to bring everyone! All five of them are coming!”

Yuffie let out a shriek, nearly dropping a burger patty on the floor. Jessie and Nellie threw their arms around each other.

“Five?” Tifa asked, puzzled. “I thought there were only four of them.”

Wedge shrugged. “He said five.”

“Oooh,” said Jessie. “Maybe it’s another guy!”

Tifa’s thoughts were whirling. _This is it,_ she told herself. _Time to drop the bomb._

Even if it was painful… even if it broke her for a while… Aerith needed closure. She couldn’t go on the way she’d been for the past five years, stuck in a hopeless rut, half grieving, half pining, unable to move forward. She deserved to know the truth.

Once the next wave of customers at the bar were all nursing their drinks and Yuffie was busy figuring out how to assemble a Reuben sandwich, Tifa excused herself and headed for the phone in the back.

Aerith answered on the third ring. “Hellooo?”

“Hey, it’s me. Uh, how’s it going?”

“Hey! Everything’s fine. What’s up?”

“Uh… I just wanted to tell you we’re having a dance, a country dance, here at Seventh Heaven on Saturday night at six o’clock.” Tifa’s voice came out in a rush, slightly high-pitched. “You can come, right?”

“Sure, I think so. Sounds fun.” Then came the dreaded pause. “Um… what’s the occasion?”

“Oh, Barret said we could… I mean, Jessie wanted to… uh… we’re… having some special guests,” Tifa managed to get out.

“Really? Who?”

“Oh… some, uh, some new friends that we wanted to meet. From the upper plate.”

“Huh? Tifa, you’re acting weird.”

Tifa gave a long sigh. It was time to stop beating around the bush. “Okay. Are you sitting down?”

The silence that followed made her wonder if Aerith had already slid to the floor.

“Uh… Aerith? You still there?”

“Oh… my… gods…” Aerith’s voice was soft and shaky. “Don’t say it, Tifa. Don’t say it!”

“Aerith…”

“Are you sure? Is it really him?”

“Yeah.” Tifa bit her lip. “I’m sure.”

Another long silence. Tifa twirled the phone cord around one finger and glanced over her shoulder, watching Yuffie scoop sauerkraut out of a can.

“How… how…” Aerith choked on the words. “How long has he been in town?”

“I don’t know. I thought I saw a guy with his sword at the station two days ago, but I wasn’t completely sure until today, when Jessie and Nellie actually saw him. He quit Shinra, and he’s been doing mercenary work in our sector, and...” Tifa stopped. “Oh, Aerith, I’m so sorry. I should have told you right away.”

“No, it’s okay,” said Aerith, still sounding weak. “I’m just in shock… I didn’t even know if he was still alive, and now…” She paused. “I just wish he would’ve come to see me.”

“Maybe there’s a good reason,” Tifa said bracingly, hoping to convince herself, too. “Maybe he just has too much work, or something.”

“It was always about work for him, though.” Aerith sighed audibly. “But now he’s free, right?”

“I guess so… But just wait ’til he sees you on Saturday night, Aerith. He’ll be so surprised!”

“Yeah… maybe… Oh, Tifa, what should I wear?”

“Something pink, of course! With cowboy boots!”


	3. The Distinguished Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited guests from on high finally condescend to join the gang at Seventh Heaven. Tifa and Aerith quickly realize that things aren’t quite as they should be, but can a little dancing break the ice between old friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “D’you think Zack will like it?” Yuffie mused while they were at Lydia’s, trying on a wide-brimmed, black suede hat.
> 
> “He… might,” drawled Tifa. She shot a sidelong glance at Aerith, who was busy gushing over a belt Jessie had found. “If… he’s not already taken.”

The next few days whizzed by in a whirlwind of activity. In between running Seventh Heaven and sitting through AVALANCHE meetings, Tifa found herself being swept along with the girls, and occasionally Wedge, on shopping trips all over town.

Jessie’s water filters had turned out to be a smashing success. By the end of the week she and Yuffie had already installed over half of them, with new orders coming in every day. A good chunk of the proceeds were immediately spent on food, drinks, and decorations for the party.

On the day they all rode up to Sector Four, home of their favorite shopping district, Aerith came along, and the five girls spent a pleasant afternoon racking up purchases at Kitty’s Boutique, Bennet’s Boot Town, and Lydia’s Cowgirl Duds.

Tifa didn’t have much spending money, and some of her worst memories were associated with that particular style of dress—that ridiculous cowgirl outfit she’d worn to impress a certain someone, that dreadful day that had ended in her father’s death and the loss of the only home she’d ever known. She finally settled on a fringed suede vest and a matching pair of ankle boots to wear with her favorite blue jeans. But Aerith had no qualms about splurging on a beautiful pair of white leather boots with three-inch heels, embroidered with a floral design. Jessie and Nellie did similarly, and Yuffie, who was in possession of an alarming amount of Gil that Tifa suspected had come to her through less than honest means, was dead set on buying herself a full head-to-toe ensemble.

“D’you think Zack will like it?” Yuffie mused while they were at Lydia’s, trying on a wide-brimmed, black suede hat.

“He… might,” drawled Tifa. She shot a sidelong glance at Aerith, who was busy gushing over a belt Jessie had found. “If… he’s not already taken.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” Aerith had asked Tifa not to tell the others about her past relationship with Zack, and Tifa respected that, but she didn’t know how Aerith was going to take it when she saw all the other girls throwing themselves at him later. Just thinking about it actually made her feel jealous on her friend’s behalf.

*^*^*^*^*

At five o’clock on Saturday evening, as soon as she finished getting dressed for the party, Tifa started on a brisk walk to the Sector Seven station, enjoying the rare sight of the vermilion sun setting below Midgar as purple clouds swam across a blushing pink sky.

She arrived just in time to see the train roll to a stop, and moments later Aerith stepped down off the platform, looking adorable as usual in a flared, salmon-pink cocktail dress with rows of satiny ruffles that grazed her knees, a wide white belt and a round silver buckle at her waist. She’d paired her new white boots with a white, silver-studded denim jacket, and her long hair had been freed of its usual tight braid and tumbled down her back in loose, shiny curls, with the pink bow sitting proudly on top.

“I love it!” Tifa cried as Aerith twirled around, grinning bashfully.

“Thanks! And _you_ look smokin’ hot, as always!”

Tifa blushed and ducked her head. Even when it came from a friend, compliments like this still made her feel self-conscious. But she was proud of her outfit. It hadn’t cost her too much, and she knew it was flattering. She especially liked the colorful beaded belt that adorned her low-rise jeans, a bargain buy from a few years back that she didn’t often get the chance to wear.

“Hmm. Well, all I can say is that Zack’s eyes are gonna pop right out of his head when he sees _you_ ,” she teased back.

“Eeek!” Aerith clutched at her face. “Stop it, Tifa! I’m already a basket of nerves!”

They walked through the cobbled roads and dusty paths of the Sector Seven slums together, Aerith tottering a little in her heels, until they finally reached Seventh Heaven, where they paused at the wide steps that led up to the double doors. A large sign, hand-painted by Tifa herself, read: _Closed For A Private Event._

Tifa took a deep breath. “Okay, this is it. Ready?”

“Uh huh,” Aerith whispered, clinging to Tifa’s arm.

Tifa pushed the doors open, and at last they entered the bar. The tables and chairs had all been moved to the perimeter, leaving the center of the room wide open, and the first thing to flood their vision was a riot of yellow—Yuffie, it appeared, had gone a bit overboard with the decorations. In addition to several musty mounds of hay and one broken wagon wheel, she’d somehow found a six-foot plush Chocobo, propped it up next to the bar, and perched an enormous cowboy hat on its fluffy head. Matching yellow streamers crisscrossed the ceiling, and bunches of yellow balloons bobbed in every corner.

“Oh, how cute!” squealed Aerith, dashing over to pet the stuffed bird.

Tifa smiled. She’d always had a soft spot for Chocobos. “Where’d you get him?” she asked Yuffie, who seemed to be supervising Wedge as he tinkered with the borrowed sound system.

“Uncle Sam, of course!” said Yuffie over her shoulder.

“Oh, right.” Tifa said nothing more. Uncle Sam was married to their Aunt Mary from Wutai, and they lived somewhere in the Sector Six slums, where he kept Chocobos and she ran a massage parlor of dubious repute. Tifa didn’t like to talk about them much, but apparently Yuffie had no such scruples.

“It’s so… big!” said Aerith, coming to her rescue.

“Well, he wouldn’t let me bring a live one.” Yuffie let out a petulant sigh.

“What?” Aerith stared. “Are you crazy?”

“Be thankful,” said Tifa with a smirk, “because if he did, I’d make you scrub the floor.”

“You got that right!” Barret growled from behind the bar, where he and Biggs were bringing out the trays of food Tifa had prepared that morning. “Ain’t no giant bird gonna shit all over my bar!”

Tifa chuckled to herself. Barret and Yuffie were slowly getting used to each other. She continued to play the part of a spoiled teenager, and he seemed to relish the role of the grumpy dad—which he did often, as she was continually handing him opportunities.

“Oh, puh- _lease_.” Yuffie rolled her eyes at Barret and pretended to yawn. “Uncle Sam trains his Chocobos not to poop indoors.”

“Right.” Tifa looked Yuffie up and down. She had on a sleveless turquoise blouse with bold embroidery at the top, a belted denim skirt, and black suede boots to go with her black hat. “Hey, I like your outfit!”

“Thanks!”

At five minutes to six, their first guests arrived. Tifa’s friend Luca, a quiet, pale-eyed brunette in her late twenties, stepped over the threshold in a white ruffled blouse and long denim skirt, leading two little dark-haired girls by the hand. The younger of the two, who wore a pink dress, burst into a bright smile and immediately pattered up to the bar.

“Daddy!”

“Aw, Marlene, my little angel! Come here!” Barret leaned over, spreading his arms wide, and the tiny girl was nearly swallowed up in his embrace.

“Are you gonna dance with me, Daddy? I wanna dance!”

“Of course I will, sweetheart! But it’s not time for dancin’ yet.”

“I’ll put some music on right now!” Wedge bent over the old-fashioned console and started pushing buttons and twirling knobs. The speakers crackled to life, filling the room with the festive sounds of banjos and fiddles.

Tifa began to tap her foot. So did Aerith. Betty, the older of the two little girls, was already dancing by herself in the middle of the floor, wiggling and twirling and swinging her arms as if nobody were watching. Not to be outdone, Marlene tugged Barret toward the center of the room by one broad finger, and he spun her around in bouncy circles, her short legs doing double time to keep up with his enormous strides.

It always warmed Tifa’s heart to see the way Barret’s gruff demeanor softened whenever he was with his little daughter. Marlene had been just a baby when Tifa had first met Barret four years ago, not long after she herself had arrived in Midgar, and from the very beginning he’d been a doting and devoted father. Though it was plain to see the two were not related by blood—Barret was square-jawed and dark-skinned, and Marlene round-faced and fair—they obviously shared a deep, unbreakable bond. The tragic circumstances in which that bond had been forged, however, were not something Barret ever talked about.

Tifa took her place behind the counter as six o’clock came and went. Stacks of napkins, paper plates, and plastic utensils were arranged neatly on a long table against the wall nearest to the bar, with pans of smoked brisket, baked pinto beans, potato salad, and peach cobbler ready to be served. There were jugs of filtered water, iced tea, and lemonade for non-drinkers and children.

Another wave of guests drifted in. Jessie and Nellie led the pack, both of them looking exceptionally pretty in brightly colored blouses, miniskirts, and boots, but Tifa noted with satisfaction that neither could hold a candle to Aerith. Following after them, from the neighborhood watch, were Wymer, Narjin, and Katie, with several friends; Marle and Gwen; Joe, who owned the Item Shop, and a few other bar regulars. Some of the ladies began to voice their worry that there wouldn’t be enough male dance partners to go around.

Wedge played a few more numbers for background music as a few guests began to find their way to the bar for drinks. At a quarter past six, Aerith, who had kept herself occupied with entertaining Marlene and Betty, finally came up to Tifa with a worried look on her face.

“Where are they?” she whispered.

“I don’t know.” Tifa looked over Aerith’s shoulder at the front doors for perhaps the hundredth time and sighed. “You know SOLDIERs, though... They probably like to make a grand entrance.”

As if on cue, the doors suddenly parted. The room fell silent except for the jaunty strains of country music from the speakers. Aerith emitted a soft little shriek and scampered behind the bar, peeping over Tifa’s shoulder as they both finally got a good look, for the first time in five years, at Zack Fair, former SOLDIER, First Class.

Zack strode into the room with his lips tilted upward in a faint smile and stood, feet apart, gloved hands on his hips, surveying the crowd. He had clearly matured since Aerith and Tifa had seen him last, as evidenced by his broad shoulders and thick, sinewy arms, which were bare. Apparently he had either forgotten to dress in cowboy attire, or had totally disregarded Wedge’s request, for he had on the exact same dark indigo First Class SOLDIER uniform he’d always worn, complete with the ridiculously large sword that was strapped to his back. Two women and two men were with him.

“Welcome to Seventh Heaven!” cried Jessie. A number of enthusiastic voices echoed her in agreement.

“Boy, oh boy!” Zack grinned bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. “What a welcome! This is great!” He glanced toward the bar and his eyes instantly lit up. Tifa was pretty sure he’d just noticed the big plush Chocobo, but Aerith let out a little moan and squeezed her arm so tightly she began to lose sensation in her fingers.

Biggs stepped forward with Barret and began to introduce everyone. Jessie, Nellie, and Yuffie crowded around as well, along with practically every other female in the room except Marlene, who scuttled behind Barret’s legs. Tifa could see Biggs gesturing toward the bar, pointing at Wedge and then at her. She thought she heard her name, but the music drowned out the rest of his words. When Zack’s eyes landed on her, she mustered a smile and lifted one hand in greeting. He smiled back politely, but no spark of recognition flashed across his face before the others reclaimed his attention. Behind her, Aerith breathed out a long sigh.

“Why don’t you go and talk to him?” Tifa asked, nudging her.

“Oh, I can’t! Not yet!”

The two young women who had entered the room with Zack didn’t seem to have gotten the dress memo, either. One was tall and curvy, and she wore a form-fitting crimson gown with cutouts at her hips and thighs, revealing large patches of creamy skin that had more than a few of the men staring. A furry red cape hung from her shoulders, and her dark red hair was cut in layers and curled into sharp points that framed her heart-shaped face.

The other woman, with large eyes and short, straight auburn hair, was petite and strangely childlike in appearance, but she carried herself like an adult. Her full gown appeared to consist of many layers of silvery, shimmery, nearly transparent fabric. Both of them had the same unnaturally bright Mako-laced eyes, a trademark of SOLDIER. Tifa felt a chill course through her.

“This is Rossaline,” she heard Zack say, as the lady in red inclined her head coolly. “And this is Shelbie.” The younger one gave a curt nod. Neither of them smiled.

Barret seemed to have been thinking along the same lines as Tifa. “Are they ex-SOLDIERs, too?”

“Yep,” said Zack. “All of us are.”

“Interesting,” said Biggs.

While the males in the room were busy appreciating Rossaline, the ladies of Sector Seven had slowly begun to gather around the remaining two young men of Zack’s party, the shorter of whom was mostly concealed behind the other, not altogether unlike the way Aerith was hiding behind Tifa. She barely had a glimpse of another dark SOLDIER uniform and a shock of pale blond hair. Her heart suddenly constricted.

The taller of the two men stepped forward. Slender in build, he looked to be in his mid- to late twenties, but his chin-length hair seemed to have gone prematurely white, and he wore a long red coat over a black SOLDIER uniform, shiny black shoulder guards, tall black boots, and a rather vacant expression on his handsome face. Tifa gazed at him with apprehension. He reminded her of another stone-faced SOLDIER… one with long, silver hair…

“This is Uncle Genny,” said Zack.

Uncle Genny gave a slight bow, reciting what sounded like an obscure line of poetry before gliding off with the two ladies, one on each arm. Barret stared after him.

“Uh… what the hell did he just say?”

“Oh, that’s from LOVELESS,” Zack explained. “He loves it... and _we_ all love it _less.”_ He cackled at his own joke. “Get it?”

Behind him, the blond guy let out a loud groan and palmed his face.

“And this is Cloud,” said Zack, dragging him forward by the arm. “My best bud, and one hell of a fighter!”

There was a tinkling crash from behind the bar. Tifa had dropped a glass. She crouched down to pick up the shards, her hands trembling.

“Tifa,” Aerith said in a hushed voice, bending over to hand her the broom and dustpan. “Is that… _him?”_

“Yeah,” said Tifa.

She began to sweep up the broken glass, relieved that nobody else had seemed to notice her accident. Meanwhile, Jessie had turned her full attention to the blond SOLDIER.

“You must be the one who’s been making a killing over in Sector Eight!” she exclaimed.

“Gotta earn a living somehow,” Cloud said with a shrug. His voice was flat, almost expressionless.

“And you’ll do any job?”

He gave a slight nod. “For the right price.”

“No matter how dangerous?”

“Hell, yeah! Danger is our specialty!” Zack slung an arm across Cloud’s shoulders. “Zack Fair and Cloud Strife,” he sang out. “Heroes for hire!”

“I love it!” Jessie squealed, beaming at them. “We can _always_ use more heroes around here! Am I right, ladies?”

She was answered by a chorus of cheers and girlish laughter. Behind the bar, Tifa now stood still, completely motionless as she gripped the handle of the broom.

There was no mistaking it. He really _was_ Cloud. Her Cloud from Nibelheim. The quiet blond boy with the ocean-blue eyes who’d once promised to be _her_ hero, seven years ago… but who hadn’t been there when she had needed him most.

He had definitely changed. Grown taller, for one. That was to be expected, since he’d always been so small, only coming up to Tifa’s nose at fourteen. Just like Zack, though, he had also matured in other, very appealing ways. She wanted a closer look, but didn’t have the faintest idea how to approach him. Would he even remember her?

“Hey, did you bring the bikes?” Jessie was asking the guys eagerly.

“Nope,” said Zack, looking pleased at the mention. “They’re back at the house. We all took the train.”

“Aw, you’d better next time,” sighed Jessie. “What make are they? Chocoboss? Macho Moto?”

Cloud shook his head, a small smirk on his lips. “Darcy-Haytona.”

“Ooh! The best!”

Just then, someone approached the bar, forcing Tifa to tear her eyes and ears from the conversation.

“Hey, Will!” She smiled at the man as he took a seat in front of her. “Glad you could come. What’ll it be? The usual?”

“You bet.” Will smiled back politely. He was one of Tifa’s regulars, a mechanic, long-faced and scruffy, somewhere in his early thirties. “This is some party,” he said, with a sweeping gesture. “You guys really went all out.”

“Thanks,” Tifa said over her shoulder as she turned around to grab ingredients. “The girls had to twist Barret’s arm, but we made it happen.” Her fingers skimmed across the dozens of bottles lined up on the rack.

“So, how about those kids?” Will jerked his head in the direction of their distinguished guests. “Heroes for hire, they say? How does one actually quit the SOLDIER program and roam all over Midgar as a completely free agent? I always thought that once you’re in, you’re in for life.”

Tifa shrugged, pouring some brandy into the shaker. “I guess that’s what we’re all hoping to find out.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Will chuckled. “By getting a date with one of ’em.”

Tifa let out a self-conscious laugh. Out of habit, she performed a little dance as she mixed the cocktail, ending in a sassy twirl as she poured it into Will’s glass and slid it down the length of the counter into his open hand. Then she looked around and was startled to see three pairs of eerily glowing eyes, all watching her. They belonged to Uncle Genny, Rossaline, and Shelbie.

“Uh… hi there.” Tifa managed a smile, though her insides were squirming. “What can I get you guys?”

“Bloody Mary,” said Rossaline.

“A glass of water, please,” said Shelbie.

“Have you any Banora White wine?” asked Uncle Genny, with a graceful turn of his wrist.

While Tifa was busy, Aerith had finished sweeping up the last of the broken glass. She came up to the bar and looked from Shelbie to Rossaline, giving them both a brilliant smile.

“Hi! I’m Aerith,” she said brightly. “I saw you ladies come in. I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely _adore_ your dresses. Where’d you get them?”

“Hattie Hurst,” said Rossaline with the faintest of smiles. She had a deep, rich voice with a rolling accent Tifa couldn’t place.

“Oh!” Aerith put a hand to her mouth. “I _love_ that store! There’s a really good taco place by there, too. So, how do you all like Featherfield?”

While the three young women made small talk, Jessie and Nellie sidled up to the counter and asked for drinks, but Tifa wasn’t sure that was the real reason they’d come over. They were whispering furiously to each other and eyeing the white-haired young man in the red coat with undisguised fascination. He didn’t seem to notice them at all.

“Where are you from… uh, Genny?” Jessie finally blurted. “Can I call you Genny?”

“You may.” He arched his brows, but not even the ghost of a smile touched his lips. “I grew up in a small town, in the far south. It no longer exists.”

“Oh… okay.” Jessie seemed at a loss for what to say next.

“You remind me of a certain famous SOLDIER,” Nellie said, tilting her head as she studied his features. “He used to be on the news a lot, way back during the war, but then he disappeared… I can’t remember his name. He had his own fan club, too.”

Jessie’s eyes went wide. “Oh! You mean Se—”

“I believe your friend was referring to the late Genesis Rhapsodos,” the young man cut her off, with a short laugh that didn’t quite reach his lifeless eyes. “Killed in action, tragically. Nobody will ever touch _that_ legend.” He paused, his expression mournful, and added, “I am merely an imitator. A… copycat, if you will.”

“No kidding,” said Nellie, as Tifa brought out the drinks. “You must be his biggest fan, then.”

Uncle Genny sighed gloomily. “My friend, the fates are cruel… there are no dreams… no honor remains…” He gave a slight nod and floated off to a table, wine glass in hand, his two ladies in tow.

“Weird guy,” muttered Nellie.

As they passed by, Tifa thought she heard the words “trashy barmaid” in Rossaline’s thick accent. She clenched her jaw, her cheeks burning hot.

Aerith looked at her. “Something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Tifa handed Jessie and Nellie their cocktails and they walked off as well. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’d better not,” said Aerith. “Not until I eat something. What about you? Need a break?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Don’t be silly.” Aerith seized Tifa by the shoulders and pushed her into a chair. “Now, at least let me get you a glass of water.”

Tifa sighed. “Okay.”

She watched Aerith rise up on her toes to pull down a clear glass and fill it from the tap at the bar, which now also had a filter on it thanks to Jessie. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of dark SOLDIER uniforms coming their way. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Aerith…”

“And here you go!” Aerith turned around—and nearly dropped the second glass of the evening.

She had come face to face with Zack, who was leaning casually over the bar. He looked straight into her eyes and flashed her a smile that could have warmed Shiva herself right down to her toes.

“Hi,” he said, holding out one hand. “I’m Zack.”

Aerith’s lips parted. Her green eyes were wide and bright. She stood there dumbly, still clutching the glass in one hand as she placed the other in the palm of Zack’s black leather glove, allowing him to press her limp fingers within his firm grasp. His glacier-melting smile grew even bigger.

“And… you are…”

“Aerith,” she squeaked out, blushing fiercely. She cleared her throat and tried again. “It’s… Aerith.”

“Nice to meet you, Aerith.”

Aerith stared helplessly at him and nodded, no longer able to speak. Tifa rose from her chair and gently pried the glass of water from her stiff fingers, one by one.

“This your friend?” Zack’s eyes flitted to Tifa for one millisecond before fixing once more on Aerith.

Aerith nodded again and swayed, looking pale. “T-Tifa.”

“Hi, Tifa. Your friends said you run this bar. It’s nice to meet you, too.” Zack finally let go of Aerith’s hand and extended one to her.

“Uh… my pleasure, Zack.” Tifa gave his gloved hand a brief shake, dimly aware that Cloud was quietly standing there next to the stuffed Chocobo and, perhaps intentionally, blending right in. Then she felt movement at her shoulder and turned back to see Aerith dashing toward the restroom with her hands over her face, her pink bow flapping as she went. Zack was watching her as well. His dark brow furrowed.

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah…” Tifa looked over her shoulder, then back at Zack again. “Would you excuse me?” She didn’t wait for an answer.

The door to the single unisex restroom was unlocked. She slipped into the dim, cramped room to find Aerith bowed over the sink, sobbing into a fistful of paper towels. Tifa held out her arms, and she fell into them.

“Oh-oh-oh, Tifa!” she wailed. “H-he doesn’t even know who I a-a-am! Gods, I-I’ve b-been such an i-i-idiot!”

“Breathe, Aerith. Breathe.”

Aerith took in a few shuddering breaths, then continued her noisy lament. “Tseng always w-warned me he was a ladies’ man! He probably h-hooked up with that Cissnei at Costa del Sol… and who knows h-h-how many o-others!”

Tifa continued to hold Aerith as her thin body shook with violent sobs, struggling to bite back her own tears. She had no clue who or what Tseng and Cissnei were, but figured she’d ask later. Because she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that something just wasn’t right. 

Drawing on her own memories from five years ago, Zack hadn’t really seemed like that much of a ladies’ man to her. Though he’d been friendly, charming even, she didn’t recall him actually flirting with her back then, not in the way she’d come to expect from guys like him. But it did seem like the only logical explanation for what had just happened. Unless…

“Don’t you think it’s a little weird, though?” she said, once Aerith had calmed down somewhat. “He doesn’t seem to remember me, either. I know it’s been a long time, but I sure remember _him_.”

“He only knew you for about a week, though. We saw each other for a whole year… and a half.”

“True.” Tifa paused, thinking. “Aerith, do you think all SOLDIERs eventually end up… well, maybe just a little bit… strange? Like… the one they call Uncle Genny?”

“They’re not like the rest of us, for sure,” Aerith sniffled, her wet cheek still resting on Tifa’s shoulder. “It used to bother me, but…” Her voice choked up again. “H-he was just… so sweet. And funny. And kind. And… well, he seemed like just a normal guy.” She sighed. “A normal guy… with the prettiest eyes.”

“Just like yours,” Tifa told her, “and _he’s_ an idiot if he doesn’t appreciate how beautiful they are.” When Aerith lifted her head and gave her a watery smile, she grimaced. “Well… maybe not right now.”

Aerith looked in the mirror. “Oh, shit. My face is a wreck.” She glowered at her pink, puffy reflection, black smudges of mascara circling her swollen eyes. Suddenly they both burst out laughing.

“No worries,” Tifa chuckled, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with another paper towel. “I keep a stash in here for touch-ups. We’ll have you fixed up in no time.” She withdrew a red zippered pouch from beneath the sink, and they quickly went to work.

Several minutes later, once Aerith no longer looked like a sad panda, the girls returned to the bar, where Barret was now herding everyone into a line to get their food. He was very efficient.

“Come on,” Tifa said to Aerith, who was still a bit distracted. “You need to eat something.”

She started to guide her toward the end of the line. Zack and Cloud were at the front. Jessie had insisted that their guests go first, but Zack, in a fit of gentlemanly manners, was letting all the ladies go ahead.

“After you,” he said to Aerith, stepping aside with a slight bow. When Aerith didn’t say anything, Tifa thanked him and handed her a clean plate, then took one herself. All the other ladies had already been through the line, so Zack jumped in immediately after them, with Cloud right behind him.

With Aerith unable to perform basic functions such as walking and putting meat on a plate while looking past Tifa to sneak glances at Zack, and Tifa trying to help her while peeking around Zack’s broad chest every now and then to get a look at Cloud, the line was moving very slowly. Several hungry men were starting to give Zack and Cloud murderous looks. They seemed to falter somewhat at the sight of the giant swords on the SOLDIERs’ backs, though. 

“This looks amazing!” said Zack when it was his turn at last, surveying the spread before him.

“Sure does,” said Cloud.

“Who made all this, Tifa?” Zack asked.

“Um…” She blushed.

“Tifa did! She’s an incredible cook!”

Aerith had spoken at last. Tifa wanted to high-five her.

“Don’t give me compliments until you’ve tasted it,” she warned, smiling playfully at Zack and Cloud. It was a line she used often while bartending.

Zack grinned and gave Cloud a few sharp nudges with his elbow, but Cloud only scowled back at him, his face pink. When Tifa and Aerith had nearly finished loading their plates, he finally said something.

“Hey. Bro. Better go easy on those beans, or you sleep on the porch tonight.”

Zack only laughed and heaped yet another spoonful of baked beans onto his plate while Cloud let out a groan. Tifa snorted as they walked away with their food, and Aerith was consumed by giggles.

“They’re too cute,” she gushed into Tifa’s ear. “They act just like brothers! You should go and talk to Cloud!”

“Oh, I don’t know… what if he doesn’t remember me, either?”

“Of course he does! You grew up together, right? And he was totally checking you out!”

“Aerith!” Tifa blushed. It might be true, but… well, pretty much _every_ guy checked her out. All the time. It wasn’t anything special.

Then again, the thought of _Cloud_ looking at her that way…

“Zack! Cloud! Come sit with us! We saved you a spot!”

Jessie and Nellie had just appeared, pointing to a table where a bunch of girls, Yuffie included, were smiling and waving. With a rather smug grin, Zack picked up his plate and went with them. Cloud followed suit.

“Hmph. Looks like _they’re_ gonna be occupied for a while,” Aerith huffed. “Why don’t we go and sit with those guys?” She gestured at another table, where Rossaline, Shelbie, and Uncle Genny were eating by themselves. Tifa felt an icy chill creep over her once more.

“I… can’t,” she said. “I promised I’d stay at the bar until Nellie gives me a break. You go ahead.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course! I think the girls like you.”

“You do? Really? Thanks, Tifa!”

Aerith walked off, glancing once more at Zack as she went, and Tifa returned to the bar.

As she ate, her eyes darted back and forth between Aerith and the table where Zack and Cloud sat, surrounded by attentive women. Jessie said something to the two of them, looking playfully stern, and Tifa smiled as she watched them both get up and grudgingly lean their massive swords against the wall as though they were a pair of misbehaving boys who’d just been told to put their toys away.

This amusing scene had clearly not escaped Aerith, whose eyes were sparkling with mirth, but she somehow still managed to keep up what seemed to be an engaging conversation with the ladies of Featherfield. Uncle Genny merely sat and listened, his expression at once disinterested and oddly indulgent. 

The hum of polite conversation filled the room as the guests savored their meal. Tifa saw Zack and Cloud both get up for seconds, while Wedge and Yuffie had thirds. Soon the brisket had been reduced to a puddle of grease in the bottom of the tray, and all that remained of the peach cobbler was a spoonful of gooey crumbs. There were a lot of beans left, though.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen!” Wedge’s voice rang out over the speakers in his best imitation of a cowboy drawl as Yuffie and Jessie dashed about gathering the last of the dirty plates. “We’re gonna open up the dance floor! Hope y’all are ready for some boot-stampin’, arm flappin’ fun, ’cause it’s time to do the…” His pitch rose and fell dramatically. “…Fat Chocobo!”

The room buzzed with excitement and some laughter. Dozens of chairs scraped across the floor in unison as the guests began to rise. Guys and girls paired up and moved to the dance floor. Tifa saw Luca, who’d been sitting next to Zack, leading him proudly by the hand. Jessie, Nellie, Yuffie, and the others were all looking daggers at her.

Meanwhile, Cloud remained sitting, arms tightly crossed, as girl after girl tried to budge him without success. He finally got up and moved over to the other table, taking the empty seat next to Rossaline, who wasn’t dancing, either.

The music started up, a boingy, twangy, fast-paced romp that Tifa vaguely remembered from her childhood. Aerith silently joined her behind the bar. She leaned over the counter and rested her chin in her hands, solemnly looking out at the dance floor. Zack had taken his place among the other couples with Luca, who was laughing at something he’d just said to her while several other girls looked on with admiration and envy. She let out a long, loud sigh.

“He sure is having fun, isn’t he?”

“Oh, Aerith.” Tifa patted her on the shoulder.

“Don’t do that, Tifa. You’re gonna make me cry again.” Aerith drew in a shaky breath. “This is good for me, though, right? Now I can finally move on with my life.”

Tifa sniffed. “Now you’re gonna make _me_ cry.”

A goofy, cartoonish voice began to sing.

_Everybody GIT_

_Out_ _on ’da FLO’_

_Everybody waddle like a Fat ChocoBO!_

Aerith gasped. Her eyes went wide. She stood straight up and stared, every last trace of melancholy wiped from her face by the sight now before her.

Whether it was due to the superhuman abilities of his Mako-enhanced body, still in peak condition from years on the battlefield, or simply because his unique personality was tailor-made for this specific brand of silliness, former First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair was tearing up the dance floor. He bent his knees, stuck out his rear, and waddled from side to side as if he had a giant bowling ball hanging between his legs. Aerith collapsed over the bar, shrieking with laughter.

_Waddle to_ _’da LEFT_

_Waddle to_ _’da RIGHT_

_Waddle, waddle, waddle with all o’ your MIGHT!_

Tifa was doubled over laughing, too. It was just too funny. Barret was squatting as low as he possibly could to get down to Marlene’s level, but it made him look like he was constipated. Yuffie was wiggling and jerking like an over-caffeinated Chocobo chick. Jessie and Nellie were falling over themselves laughing at the guys, a few of whom were putting forth an admirable effort, but Zack was giving it his all.

_Flappin’ those WINGS_

_Shakin’ that BUTT_

_Everybody do the Fat Chocobo STRUT!_

“Yeah!” Aerith yelled, jumping up and down. Her cheeks were very flushed. “Work it! Wooooooo!”

Zack looked toward the bar with a huge smile on his face, then doubled down on his rhythmic butt-shaking.

“Oh my gosh!” Aerith covered her face with her hands and peeped through her fingers. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” She was hyperventilating.

“I think you got his attention,” chuckled Tifa as the final chords of the Fat Chocobo finally warbled away.

“Oh, no! What was I thinking? I’m gonna _die_!”

“You’d better not. He’s coming this way.”

Wedge’s hilariously fake country twang issued from the speakers again. “Now, for another icebreaker! Don’t just sit there on yer laurels, guys! Grab you a partner and make her head spin! It’s time for the Cactuar Twirl!”

The music that started playing was even faster and sillier than what had just gone before. In a flash, Zack was there, leaning over the bar. Aerith shot Tifa one last, frantic look.

“Hey, Aerith. Wanna dance? This one’s my favorite!”

But this time, Aerith didn’t look like she was about to faint. Instead, she looked right up at him and directed a brilliant smile into his sky-blue eyes, coyly gliding one bangled hand along the edge of the counter as she stepped out to meet him. With a foolish grin on his face, Zack took her by the hand and led her away.

Tifa couldn’t stop her own sappy smile from spreading as she watched the two of them walk to the dance floor together. She wondered if this was what it had been like when Zack and Aerith had first met, seven years ago. Love at first sight.

_Cactuar likes to twirl, twirl_

_Do it with your girl, girl_

Zack and Aerith twirled side by side on one leg, one arm bent upward and one down. They rotated one way, then the other, laughing sheepishly, their faces flushed. Tifa was smiling so much her cheeks ached.

_Ready? Arms UP…_

They threw their arms up.

_And… ONE THOUSAND NEEDLES!_

They flung their arms forward, wiggling their fingers. Then everybody joined hands in a circle.

_We love to twirl like Cactuar_

_But now we gotta say_

_That if you meet a Cactuar_

_You RUN THE OTHER WAAAAAAAY!_

Tifa laughed out loud as Zack and Aerith began to chase each other back and forth with the others. All at once a large, dark shape moved into her line of sight, followed by a spiky blond head.

“Tifa.”

The smile dropped from Tifa’s face. Her heart gave one powerful throb, then stood deathly still. His eyes…

“Cloud.” She managed a weak smile, though her heart had just started beating so hard it almost hurt. “Long time, no see.”

“Yeah,” he said, lowering himself onto the stool in front of her. “Five years.”

“Huh?” Tifa blinked. “You mean… seven, right?”

His blond brows knit together as his lower lip protruded slightly. “You don’t—”

“Hey, Tifa! How about a beer?”

“Great party, Tifa!”

“Tifa! Where’ve you been hiding? I wanna see you on the dance floor!”

Three more guys were settling in at the bar. Tifa knew all of them: Joe, Austin, and Henry—they were regular customers, like Will, but closer to her age.

“Sorry,” she said hastily to Cloud. “I’ll be just a minute…”

As she went back to get Joe a beer, Tifa suddenly felt bold. She wasn’t a kid anymore, and she wanted Cloud to notice. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to show off a little.

She set down the ice-cold mug in front of Joe with a flourish, bending slightly at the waist, a posture which she knew provided a good view. “All yours!” she said with a wink.

“Can’t get enough,” said Joe with satisfaction, taking a long swig and bringing the mug back down with a thump.

“Now, what can I get you guys?” Tifa turned to face the other two with a winsome smile, her hands on her hips.

Austin and Henry both asked for Tifa’s signature cocktail, the Seventh Heaven. She took great delight in treating them all, Cloud included, to her most captivating moves, hands flying, hips swaying, hair swinging over one shoulder as she spun around with a flourish.

“Damn, Tifa!” Henry whistled. “You’re on fire tonight! Now I _need_ to see you on the dance floor!”

Tifa wagged a finger at him. “No promises!”

She turned to Cloud and was taken aback by the sour look on his face. He seemed extremely displeased about something. She began to feel a sinking sensation in her belly. Should she have served him first?

“Sorry about that,” she offered feebly. “So, uh… can I get you a drink?”

He looked away from her, shaking his head. “Not really in the mood right now.”

“Oh.” Tifa frowned. She leaned toward him, her hands splayed out on the bar. He turned back and met her gaze. She held it for just a moment, lost in deep blue eyes full of light that reminded her of summer nights and endless, starry skies—then ducked her head before he could see the blush staining her cheeks.

“But… if you were,” she went on hopefully, taking in his stony expression, “then maybe… something hard?”

“Huh?” He gave her a glazed look.

“You know. A hard drink.”

“I know what it means,” he said, sounding annoyed.

“Good. Why don’t you give it a try, then?

He shrugged. “Sure.”

Tifa started to mix a cocktail for him, but her heart was no longer in it. When she finally set down the glass of yellow liquid in front of him, Cloud looked even more sullen than he had before. He sipped at it and made a face.

“Well?” Tifa tried to hide her disappointment. “Most guys would say something sweet right about now.”

Cloud glanced over at the other guys and scowled. “I’m sure they would.”

Tifa pressed her lips together with a sudden ache in her throat. She wanted to talk to him so badly, but she didn’t know what else to say.

The Cactuar Twirl had ended and couples began to line up once more. Zack and Aerith were changing partners; he was quickly snagged by Nellie, while she stood up next to Biggs.

“Y’all ready to do some two-steppin’?” Wedge drawled through the sound system.

Another song began, a brisk, breezy tune. Barret was now dancing with Gwen. Yuffie had picked up one of Katie’s friends, and Uncle Genny moved elegantly with Shelbie, who was oddly stiff and jerky in comparison. 

Austin finished his drink and got up from his seat next to Cloud. Seconds later, Jessie slid into his place.

“Cosmo Canyon, please!”

Tifa smiled, relieved to have a distraction. “Coming right up!”

Jessie was definitely distracting. Her skirt was very short, and she quickly had Cloud’s full attention.

“How are you with hand-to-hand combat?” she asked him casually, sipping her drink.

“You kidding? Nothing to it,” he replied, with a sidelong glance at Tifa.

“How many guys can you take at once?”

“Ten, easy. Could be more. I never counted.”

Jessie knocked back the last drop of her drink and asked for another. Tifa could feel Cloud’s eyes on her as she slid the red-hued cocktail along the bar. Joe and Henry were still drinking and didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the conversation, but she still worried that alcohol was going to loosen Jessie’s tongue and cause her to reveal too much too soon.

But after her second Cosmo Canyon, Jessie’s line of questioning began to take a different direction.

“So… you know anything about bombs?”

Cloud’s eyes went wide. “Huh?”

She lowered her lashes and smiled, bringing her face closer to his. “’Cause I’ve got a feeling you could blow my mind.”

“Uh… not really.” He leaned backward slightly.

Jessie lifted one hand and slowly trailed her fingers down the front of Cloud’s ribbed sweater and over his sword harness, resting them lightly against the buckles on his belt. His mouth dropped open.

“I’d be glad to teach you.”

Tifa’s ears burned. She cast her eyes around wildly, looking anywhere else, trying not to listen. She’d seen Jessie in action plenty of times before, knew she had a couple of drinks in her, but this time, for some reason, she could barely contain the urge to slap her.

“Are you drunk or something?” she heard Cloud snap, his voice rising with irritation and a shade of panic. “Get off me already.”

“Fine.” Jessie stood abruptly and smoothed down her skirt. “You know, there’s such a thing as playing _too_ hard to get,” she shot back over her shoulder as she stalked off.

“Ouch!” said Henry, grinning knowingly at Cloud.

“Bad move, man!” Joe chortled. “You just lost a golden opportunity right there!”

Cloud’s face had turned a deep shade of scarlet. “Ain’t got time for that shit,” he grumbled, folding his arms and looking away. The other guys hooted with laughter.

Tifa hid a smile and pretended she hadn’t noticed. Cloud had always been shy, and it pleased her to see that he wasn’t the type to chase after women.

If anything, Zack seemed to be his polar opposite. When Jessie approached him for the next dance, he went along with her easily. But Tifa could swear she saw him look wistfully at Aerith, who was tripping over her feet a little as she tried to two-step with Austin. She wondered if he’d ask her to dance again.

“Who’s that girl?” Cloud asked Tifa over his shoulder, pointing with one gloved finger. “The one with the big bow in her hair, in the pink dress and white boots?”

“That’s Aerith,” Tifa replied. “She’s my best friend. She lives in Sector Five.”

“Oh.” Cloud had an odd look on his face.

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, just curious.”

He didn’t say anything else, and Tifa found herself with more guests to serve. Several minutes passed with not a single word spoken between them. At last the dance ended, and she turned around to see Zack dragging himself up to the bar.

“I need a break,” he puffed, sitting down next to Cloud, and he certainly looked it. His face was bright pink and his forehead glistened. “Hey, Tifa, um… what’ve you got to drink here?”

“Pretty much whatever you want,” she replied with a smile.

“Okay, great. I’ll have a… a… Kupo Cola on the rocks.”

Tifa’s eyebrows rose about as high as they could go. “Okay… sure. Coming right up.” She thought she heard a snicker from Cloud as she headed to the back. 

“What?” Zack demanded, as Tifa walked away.

“Zack, this is a _bar.”_ Cloud gave him a scathing look. “They serve _alcohol_ here.”

“I know that! I just—I don’t know anything about that stuff!”

“You could at least order a beer! You know, like a normal adult!”

“Like _you’re_ so grown up,” Zack snorted, pointing at Cloud’s barely touched cocktail. “Are you even gonna finish that?”

“Sure. No big deal.” Cloud put the glass to his lips, tipped his head back to drain it—and started choking and coughing.

“Ha, ha, ha! Your _face,_ Spikey!”

“Shut _up,_ Stamp! She’s coming back!”

“Ask her for another one! I dare you!”

“No way!”

Tifa returned with Zack’s Kupo Cola and passed it to him with a smile. “Enjoy.” She looked at Cloud, and her gaze fell on his empty glass. “Can I get you anything else?”

Zack grinned and gave Cloud a very obvious poke in the ribs. Cloud poked him right back.

“Nah,” Cloud said. “I’m good.”

“Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” Tifa picked up the glass and disappeared again.

Just then Aerith walked by and smiled shyly at the two guys on her way to the restroom. An idiotic grin slowly took over Zack’s face as he stared dreamily after her.

“You like her, huh?” said Cloud.

“Yeah,” Zack sighed. “Yeah, I do. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. She looks just like… an angel. Don’t you think so?”

Cloud shrugged. “Yeah, I guess… she really stands out.”

“Did you see me dancing with her? How did I look out there?” Panic strained Zack’s features. “Did I look cool?”

“Not really.”

“Did I look stupid?”

“Uh… yeah.”

Zack looked mortified.

“Just a little,” Cloud added.

Zack finally laughed. “Well, _you_ look pretty stupid, too, you know, sitting here by yourself in a room full of cute girls. You should be dancing, too.”

Cloud crossed his arms tightly. “I don’t dance.” He was probably right about that, because at this point it seemed unlikely that his arms would ever uncross again. “Besides, it would be more like a punishment to dance with any of those girls out there.”

“You’re crazy!” Zack stared at him in utter bemusement. “I wouldn’t dream of being as picky as you.”

Tifa returned to the bar just then, taking orders from an older woman and two other guys who had just shown up.

“Hey!” Zack said suddenly. “What about Tifa?”

Cloud turned pink. “The bartender?” he said casually.

“Yeah! Why not? She’s really pretty, too!”

Cloud glanced over his shoulder once more at Tifa, laughing and joking with the two men as she mixed their drinks with untouchable grace and flair, her sheet of dark hair dancing over her lush, inviting curves. So close… and yet still a million miles away…

For the briefest of moments, their eyes met. He swallowed and looked away, blushing.

“Not interested.”

Zack smirked. “Sure doesn’t look like it.”

Cloud glowered at him, blushing even hotter. “She’s not bad to look at, I guess, but I’m not really into barmaids,” he said shortly. “Not my style. You go and have fun dancing with that girl. Don’t waste your time with me.”

“Fine. Have it your way, bro.”

As if on cue, Aerith emerged from the restroom. Her green eyes lit up when Zack stood and silently reached out a hand to her. Cloud watched the two of them walk off together with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. A new song began to play.

He turned back to the bar and inhaled sharply. Tifa was standing closer than he’d realized, her beautiful dark eyes cast low, her bottom lip tucked inward. He’d been waiting for a moment like this, waiting for her to notice him, as always. But this time, she walked away without even looking at him.

Cloud swept his hands up the sides of his face and clutched at the front of his hair.

She’d heard.

_Shit._


	4. Life’s A Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they attempt to become reacquainted, Cloud and Tifa haven’t exactly started off on the right foot. Meanwhile, is something new blossoming between Zack and Aerith? Emotions are running high as Seventh Heaven’s first dance draws to a close, yet so many questions remain unanswered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Come on, Tifa!” Wedge pleaded. “We’ve never had a party like this at Seventh Heaven! You have to dance!”
> 
> “I wouldn’t mind, actually,” said Tifa, “but Mr. Strife here doesn’t dance.” She lifted her eyes and gave Cloud a direct look, brows raised in a calm challenge.
> 
> His blue eyes arrested hers. “Doesn’t mean I can’t,” he said softly.

Tifa’s eyes were prickling as she turned once more to see the back of Cloud’s fluffy blond head and the dark SOLDIER uniform shifting on his slight frame as he walked away from the bar and back to the table where he’d been sitting before, next to Rossaline. As he took a seat, the red-haired woman leaned toward him with an arch smile and began to speak in a low voice. She thought she could guess what it was about.

_Trashy barmaid…_

It was all becoming clear.

_Not interested…_

He didn’t like what she’d become.

_Not bad to look at, I guess…_

_Not really into barmaids…_

_Not my style…_

He thought she was beneath him. Not his equal. Just the barmaid. The floor model, the one who was always on display. Someone to be looked at, lusted over, but never loved; someone to be used and thrown away.

“Don’t let him get to you, Tifa, dear. That stuck-up little pretty boy isn’t worth pining over. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Tifa blushed and laughed self-consciously. “Thanks, Marle. I’m not pining, though. Really.”

“Good for you. What a disagreeable young fellow he is!” Marle’s lip curled with distaste. “No wit, no charm. Big sword, but no _skills_. At least his friend has some manners.” She lifted her gaze to the dance floor and her frown instantly faded. “Look! He’s dancing with Aerith again! That’s the second time tonight!”

“Yeah,” said Tifa, smiling in spite of herself. “I think he really likes her.”

“Oh, that’s obvious. Who wouldn’t? She’s a rare beauty. Just like you, Tifa.”

Tifa shrugged and didn’t answer. Yes, Aerith was uncommonly pretty. She really did stand out. So did Rossaline, for that matter…

“And he likes to dance!” Marle went on. “That’s a sure step toward falling in love!”

Tifa chuckled. “A two-step, more like!”

There was no denying that Zack and Aerith were a fun couple to watch on the dance floor. Neither of them seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Their height difference made them a little awkward, even with the extra inches of Aerith’s heels. He was tall, broad, and bulky, prone to bumping into things and people; she was petite and willowy, but not particularly graceful. Yet whatever they lacked in rhythm and coordination, they made up a hundred times over in sheer enthusiasm. The smiles never left their faces as they swayed together to the music, slightly off beat, their hands clasped firmly together.

When the song ended, they gazed into each other’s eyes for just a moment, then quickly looked off in opposite directions.

“Oh, how sweet!” Marle sighed. “Young love!”

Tifa shook her head. She wanted to tell Marle they’d only just met, but…

“Hey, Tifa. Want a break?”

It was Nellie, her usual backup bartender. Biggs could sometimes do in a pinch as well. Barret scared the customers a little too much.

“Sure. Thanks!”

Tifa nearly bumped into Uncle Genny as she made her way to the restroom. She quickly used the toilet, brushed her hair until it crackled, and reapplied her cinnamon-hued lipstick. When she returned, she saw Zack being steered around by a girl she didn’t know, while Aerith was hanging out with Wedge and Yuffie over by the sound system. She wove her way through the crowd to meet them.

“Tifa!” Aerith’s eyes shone. “I saw you talking to Cloud! How’d it go?”

“Oh, we didn’t get too far.” Tifa tried to look nonchalant. “How about you and Zack? Having fun?” She raised her eyebrows.

A pretty shade of rose dusted Aerith’s cheeks. “Yeah,” she sighed. “A little too much to hope for, I know, but I’m taking all I can get. Who knows what might happen? Maybe he’ll remember me after all.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Oh, Tifa, I wish I knew. I’m so confused. I just want to live in the moment for now. I’ll think about it all later.” She gave Tifa an inquiring look. “And you didn’t finish telling me about Cloud.”

Tifa shook her head. “There’s nothing to tell. He’s not interested… in talking to me.”

“Really?” Aerith’s eyes were wide. “He said that?”

“Pretty much.” Tifa didn’t want to reveal that she’d actually eavesdropped. “In so many words.” He’d been so dismissive of her at the bar, rejecting her offers of drinks, his surly expression killing her attempts at conversation. He might as well have said it to her face.

“Oh, Tifa, I’m sorry. I really thought he’d at least want to catch up with you.”

Tifa shrugged. “It’s okay. Maybe later.” She glanced over at the sound system, where Wedge was standing over Yuffie, murmuring instructions as he pointed to various buttons. “What’s going on?” she asked them.

“I’m the DJ now!” Yuffie declared. “Wedge is gonna take a break.”

“That’s great!” said Tifa. “What do you think you’ll play next?”

“Hmmm…”

Out of the corner of her eye, Tifa saw Cloud rise to his feet again. Two girls immediately approached him, but he brushed them off. He wandered in her direction and stood casually next to the sound system, arms crossed, giving off a distinct air of studied indifference.

“Hey, Cloud,” said Wedge with a friendly smile, noticing him. “Having a good time tonight?”

“Yeah.” His tone was unconvincing.

“I haven’t seen you dance yet.”

“I don’t dance,” Cloud replied. It was becoming his catchphrase of the evening.

“Aw, why not? Your friend Zack is having a blast out there! You’re missing out on all the fun, bro!”

“I ain’t your bro.”

“Man, why d’you have to be so cold?”

Just then Wedge saw Tifa begin to walk away. “Hey, wait!” He took her by the arm and brought her around to face Cloud. “This is our very own Tifa Lockhart, the brains and the beauty behind this entire outfit! You can’t possibly turn down a partner like this!”

Tifa blushed and stared at the floor. “Uh… thanks, Wedge, but I really wasn’t planning on dancing. I just got up to stretch my legs for a minute before I have to get back to the _bar_.” She laid a slight stress on that last word.

“Come on, Tifa!” Wedge pleaded. “We’ve never had a party like this at Seventh Heaven! You have to dance!”

“I wouldn’t mind, actually,” said Tifa, “but Mr. Strife here doesn’t dance.” She lifted her eyes and gave Cloud a direct look, brows raised in a calm challenge.

His blue eyes arrested hers. “Doesn’t mean I can’t,” he said softly.

“Oh, yeah?” Tifa took a step closer to him and perched her hands on her hips. “Sure you wanna dance with a barmaid?” Her lips tilted in a saucy smirk.

Cloud flushed bright red. His mouth opened and closed again.

“Figured.” Tifa feigned a sigh of disappointment. “That’s okay. I wouldn’t dream of forcing you.”

Cloud shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He turned away from her and sat back down.

Tifa’s eyes followed him for a brief moment, but she pulled them away quickly. Instead of triumph, she only felt sadness. Had she imagined that sulky little pout on his lips or the slight droop to his shoulders?

“There you are, Tifa! At last!” Henry sauntered over and tipped his hat to her. “Will I be the lucky fool who gets the first dance with you?”

Tifa stole one more glance at Cloud. He was watching intently, wearing a blank expression.

“One hundred percent your good luck,” she told Henry, with a halfhearted smile. “Think you can keep up?”

“Sure can.”

“Okay, y’all ready?” Yuffie’s high-pitched country drawl was even worse than Wedge’s. “Life’s a dance!”

Over the speakers, piano keys scattered light notes like raindrops, and acoustic guitars strummed a few wistful chords as Henry led Tifa to the center of the floor just as if he were escorting royalty. She couldn’t help but smile to herself, just a little. It felt good to be appreciated.

They joined hands. Tifa took the lead. She’d gone to a few swing dance classes as a teen, and the moves came back to her naturally. Henry was a surprisingly adequate dancer, too. They began to move in slow, lazy circles, their boots tapping against the floor in time to the music.

_When I was fourteen I was fallin' fast  
For a blue-eyed girl in my homeroom class  
Tryin' to find the courage to ask her out  
Was like tryin' to get oil from a waterspout_

Tifa and Henry swung each other back and forth, arms stretching apart like elastic bands as they separated, then pulling in close again with a snap.

_What she would have said I can't say  
I never did ask and she moved away  
But I learned somethin' from my blue-eyed girl  
Sink or swim, you gotta give it a whirl_

Then, with a minute tightening of her grip, Tifa guided his arm upward and whirled into him, her body moving in a graceful spiral until she came to a stop with her back flush against his chest. She thought she heard Aerith and Yuffie cheering as the music swelled and more voices blended into a resounding chorus. 

_Life's a dance, you learn as you go  
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow  
Don't worry about what you don't know  
Life's a dance, you learn as you go_

The room became a blur as Tifa kept on spinning, twirling. A few people had started to clap along with the beat. She and Henry began to move together in even greater sync, attempting more difficult moves. The song played on.

_The longer I live the more I believe  
You do have to give if you wanna receive  
There's a time to listen, a time to talk  
And you might have to crawl even after you walk_

More couples were joining them. Jessie had paired herself with Biggs. Rossaline had finally gotten up and was now dancing with Austin. His face kept shifting between looks of exhilaration and terror. Zack had linked hands with a very flushed Katie, who kept twirling over and over to end up pressed against his chest, and Aerith was mostly bumping into Wedge as they both craned their necks to watch Tifa.

_Had sure things blow up in my face  
Seen the long shot, win the race  
Been knocked down by the slammin' door  
Picked myself up and came back for more_

The chorus repeated and flowed into an instrumental bridge. As the music soared toward its highest point, Tifa gave Henry a decisive look. He nodded. She stretched out one arm and lunged backward, one knee lifted against his hip as he held her by the waist. Her hair briefly skimmed the floor before she sprang back up into his arms, spinning on her toes.

_Life’s a dance, life’s a dance_

_Life’s_ _a dance, take a chance on love_ _  
Life's a dance, you learn as you go_

The room exploded with applause. Tifa and Henry looked around to see the crowd surrounding them in a circle, clapping and cheering. They glanced at each other and exchanged a grin, then took a bow.

Aerith ran up to her, Wedge close behind.

“Wow! Tifa! I didn’t know you could dance like that! You were _amazing_! And you, too,” she added politely to Henry.

“Thanks!” Tifa was blushing, but her eyes twinkled. “Not bad for just the barmaid, huh?”

“Just the barmaid?” Wedge shook his head. “No way! You’re the queen!”

“The queen of Seventh Heaven!” Aerith crowed.

“Aw, thanks, guys,” said Tifa, a bit embarrassed. “You really know how to cheer a girl up.”

“And that was a great song, Yuffie!” Aerith went on. “Those lyrics really spoke to me.”

“I’ve never heard it before,” Yuffie admitted. “Just liked the name.”

“Life’s a dance,” Tifa said thoughtfully. “Yeah, I can relate.”

At the edge of her vision she detected the slight dark figure of Cloud. He seemed to have acquired the habit of listening in on her conversations with other people, for which she decided she couldn’t fault him. He was scowling, and his cheeks were noticeably pink. She took a step toward him.

“Didn’t you like it, Cloud?”

“Nothing wrong with the _song,_ ” he muttered, arms crossed as usual.

She frowned. “The dance, then?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

Cloud jerked his blond head in the direction of Henry’s large suede hat, which was now bobbing up and down in animated conversation with Jessie. “Your partner,” he sneered.

Tifa frowned. “What about him?”

“Dunno. He’s not a great dancer. He kinda sucked, actually.”

She laughed at that. “Think you could do better?”

Cloud opened his mouth, but didn’t reply.

“Oh, well… guess you gotta learn as you go.” Tifa gave him a sad smile. “Words to live by, huh?”

He stared at her and managed, “Yeah.”

The room seemed to fold over in a collective cringe as Yuffie loudly announced another song like a pint-sized hick on a sugar high. Tifa glanced around and smiled when her eyes landed on Wedge.

“Come here,” she said, taking him by the hand. “I owe you one for getting me to dance.”

He grinned bashfully. “If you say so, Tifa.”

Wedge was a shy but good-humored partner. They chatted easily as they danced, laughing whenever one of them made a misstep. When the song ended, Tifa was having such a good time that she got Biggs to dance with her next. Then Barret. Then Joe, but only after he asked her five times.

“One more, Tifa, baby? Please?” Joe wheedled as another song started up. Wedge was running the sound again.

“Sorry,” said Tifa, flinching at the way he called her _baby_. “I’d better get back.” She felt Cloud’s eyes on her again as she made her way back to the bar.

“Ready to get back to work now, dancing queen?” Nellie greeted her with a wink.

Tifa smiled. “Yeah, I think so. Thanks for covering me.”

Jessie and Yuffie came up beside her, both of them pink-cheeked and breathless. Nellie surveyed all three girls with a knowing look.

“So, how about those SOLDIER boys?”

“They’re cute!” Yuffie squealed.

“Gorgeous,” sighed Jessie.

Tifa shrugged as she took her place behind the bar. “Didn’t get to dance with either one. You?”

“Just Zack,” Yuffie and Jessie answered in unison.

“Same here.” Nellie sat down on a stool and crossed her knees tightly under her short skirt. “He’s alright. Kind of a goofball. Cloud won’t dance with _anyone_ , though. Thinks he’s too good for us or something.”

“Well, I heard he’s been making ten thousand a month,” sniffed Jessie. “Guess he can afford to be choosy.”

“Maybe he’s just shy,” offered Tifa.

“Whatever,” said Nellie. “It’s not like either one of them had to _ask_ anyone.”

“No kidding!” Jessie rolled her eyes. “Gods, everything _about_ those two screams V-I-R-G-I-N.”

Tifa blushed. “Jessie!”

“Well, it’s true! All I did was put my hand on Zack’s waist and he went stiff as a board.”

Nellie snorted. “You put your hand on his _ass_ , Jess.”

Tifa wanted to clap her hands over Yuffie’s ears.

“And Cloud is so pure I wonder if he’s saving himself for marriage.”

 _What’s so bad about that?_ Tifa’s blush intensified. “You _might_ have been a little too in-his-face,” she said, trying not to let her irritation show.

“And that Genny guy must be gay, or else he’s a eunuch or something,” Jessie went on, pouting.

“Word,” said Nellie. “Dunno what’s up with the white hair, either. He’d be _really_ sexy if he dyed it red.”

“Hey, ladies!” Aerith had joined them. “What’re you all talking about?”

“Your man,” Jessie teased her.

“What?” Aerith’s cheeks crimsoned.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know,” said Nellie. “Everyone can tell Zack is _seriously_ into you.”

A foolish grin tugged at Aerith’s lips, but her eyes were soft. “You really think so?”

“He danced with you _twice_ ,” said Jessie, counting on her fingers with exaggerated motions.

“And you’re the only one he actually went out of his way to _ask,”_ Nellie added. “ _Both_ times.”

Jessie nodded. “I won’t be surprised if he asks you out before the night is over.”

“You’re really serious…” Aerith’s hand trembled over her breastbone. “Tifa, what do you think?”

Tifa only smiled. “We’ll see.”

Aerith turned to look out at the dance floor, and they all followed her gaze. There, surrounded by slow-dancing couples, Zack was bent down low, gently swinging Marlene by the hand as she twirled around in her pink skirt. They were both beaming. Tifa scanned the crowd for Barret and immediately noticed the tender expression on the big man’s face.

Nellie stared. “Wow.”

“He’s as good as hired,” said Jessie, in quiet astonishment.

It was now a quarter past eight. Tifa saw Luca talking to Barret, and a moment later she had gathered Marlene and Betty to her side and was herding them toward the door. Just before stepping outside, Marlene turned and waved to everyone.

“Good night, y’all!”

“Good night!” Zack said with a smile, waving back.

Marlene grinned, blowing him a kiss, then twirled back around to follow Luca and Betty out into the night.

“Aw, how sweet,” sighed Tifa. “You’ve got competition, Aerith!”

They all laughed.

While this scene was taking place, Cloud—rather like his namesake—was drifting, aimlessly, between the bar and the table where he’d been sitting with Rossaline, Shelbie, and Uncle Genny. His heart was racing. His palms were moist inside his leather gloves. He wondered if he looked as lost as he felt.

More than half an hour had passed since it had happened, but the sight of Tifa Lockhart in another man’s arms, the white column of her neck arching backward as rivers of her ebony hair spilled against the floor, wasn’t something he was going to forget in a hurry. Truth be told, it was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. And he didn’t know what to do about it.

“Deep in thought again, I see.” Rossaline stood at his elbow. “May I guess at vot you are tinking?”

“Nope.”

She pressed on anyway. “Counting ze minutes until ve leave zis intolerable place?”

He grunted. “It’s not so bad.”

“Oh?” She followed his gaze to the shapely dark-haired figure at the bar, and one thin brow arched knowingly. “Ah. More _pleasant_ thoughts, zen?”

“Uh…” He couldn’t help it; he was feeling warm all over. “Yeah.”

“So, tell me. Vot _is_ it you like so much about zat girl?”

Cloud hesitated. There was no point in trying to hide it now, but that didn’t mean he was going to give her any more information than what was necessary. “She has nice eyes,” he said finally.

“Nice _eyes_?” Rossaline laughed. “We both know zat vos not ze _only_ thing you vere looking at.”

He scowled at her, cheeks flaming. “Quit acting like you can read my inner thoughts. It’s creepy as hell.”

Rossaline only gave a throaty laugh and swept away, her red cape swirling behind her.

Cloud sighed. She hadn’t been wrong. Sure, he liked Tifa’s eyes. Always had. As a boy, he’d been fascinated by the way they’d go from root beer to cherry cola with the smallest shift in her mood. But now that they were all grown up, it was okay to admire the rest of the package, wasn’t it?

Around nine o’clock, a few guests began to leave. Tifa hauled out some snacks, and soon colorful bowls of popcorn, mixed nuts, pretzels, and chips stood in a row on the table where the food had been served. There was no way they could have afforded an open bar—Barret had vetoed it from the start—and pretty much all of her remaining guests had used up their complimentary drink tickets, so now was the time to recoup some expenses and maybe even rake in a little profit.

Zack and Cloud returned to the bar a few more times and made light conversation, but nothing more. On one occasion, Tifa overheard an exchange between Zack and Barret.

“That little girl you were dancin’ with was my daughter.” Barret sounded menacing, but Tifa knew he wasn’t upset. “I think she likes you.”

“I couldn’t say no to her,” Zack said. “She was too cute.”

“Hm.” Barret made a low, guttural sound. “But if you ever do anything to hurt her, I’m gonna blow ya to kingdom come.”

“What?” Zack held up his hands. “I’d never hurt your kid. I swear.”

With a rumbling laugh, Barret slapped him on the shoulder. “You’re awright, man. Dunno ’bout your friends, but you’re awright.”

“Uh… thanks.” Zack was frowning. “What about my friends?”

“Ah, nothin’. That white-haired guy is kinda strange, but he looks harmless. And the short girl, too. That broad in the red cape scares the shit outta me, though. Looks like she wants to murder everyone in the room.”

“Oh, Rosie’s alright. Don’t worry. Uncle Genny always makes sure she takes her meds.”

“An’ what’s up with blondie over there? No offense, but… he got somethin’ stuck up his ass, or what?”

Zack snorted and shook his head, trying not to laugh. “Nah, Cloud’s a good guy. He saved my life. Once you get to know him, he’s pretty cool.”

At a quarter to ten, Uncle Genny started rounding up Shelbie and Rossaline to catch the next train back up to the plate. Aerith dashed after the two girls to say goodbye.

“Ve all had a _lovely_ time tonight, Aerith, dahling,” Rossaline purred in a velvety tone. “Didn’t ve, Shelbie?”

“Yes. The refreshments were more than adequate, and the dancing was well-executed and entertaining.” Shelbie sounded like an automated voice recording.

“Aw, thanks!” Aerith exclaimed. “But you should thank my friends, too. Especially Barret and Tifa. They’re the ones who made all this happen.”

“Ah, yes,” said Rossaline, with a calculated look toward the bar. Her eyes emitted a cool glow as her thin lips tilted wryly. “Ve are _most_ grateful.”

Tifa barely repressed a shudder.

The festivities were winding down. Yuffie returned to the DJ chair and played a few more songs, but hardly anyone danced. Will, Joe, Henry, and a few of Katie’s friends hung around drinking for another hour, then left. By a quarter to eleven, no one remained but Cloud, Zack, Aerith, and the AVALANCHE crew. While Biggs, Wedge, Nellie, and Yuffie began to clean up—Aerith insisted on helping, though she was a little tipsy—Jessie and Barret cornered the two SOLDIERs at the bar as they were chatting up Tifa—or, rather, Zack was chatting and Cloud was listening. The young men both had their giant swords fastened to their backs again.

“Ready to talk about bombs now, Cloud?” said Jessie, giving him a quick slap on the knee as she settled in beside him. When he turned red and began to sputter, she winked at him. “Psych!”

“Jessie!” Barret growled softly, jerking his head toward Aerith, who was collecting glasses from a nearby table. “Lower your voice!”

She giggled. “Sorry!”

“Bombs?” Zack said curiously, looking from Jessie to Cloud. “What about bombs?”

“Don’t even ask,” muttered Cloud, his eyes homicidal.

Barret let out a deep chuckle, then pulled his expression to seriousness. “Here’s the deal,” he began, addressing Zack. “We know you’re ex-Shinra. We got a potential job for ya, but we need to know for sure that you’ve cut all ties with the company before we talk any further. That goes for your friends, too.”

Zack and Cloud exchanged a significant look. It might have been Tifa’s imagination, but she thought she saw something like excitement flicker there. Or perhaps it was fear.

Cloud spoke first. “No need to ask. We’ve got no love for Shinra. They destroyed our lives, and there’s nothing we wouldn’t do to take ’em down.”

Barret leaned in close to Cloud, teeth slightly bared. “Who said anything ’bout takin ’em down?”

Cloud blinked, but he otherwise didn’t flinch. “Seemed obvious to me.” His look was smug. “So, what do you need us to do?”

“I don’t need _both_ of y’all.” Barret rested his large hand on Zack’s shoulder. “I’m only interested in this guy right here.”

Zack opened his mouth, but Cloud quickly cut him off. “No deal, then. We’re a team. We go together, or not at all.”

Barret raised his arm in outrage. “What the hell you tryin’ to pull, kid?” he roared.

“Barret!” cried Tifa.

“I can’t afford the both o’ ya!”

“Doesn’t matter to us, does it, Zack?” Cloud gave a short laugh. “We’re not starving.”

“Nope,” said Zack.

“Why, you cocky little smart-ass! I oughta smack the shit outta ya!”

“Barret.” Tifa laid a hand on his arm.

“You sure you wanna try that?” Zack said calmly, sizing Barret up.

“Please, guys! Can’t we just have a civil discussion here?” begged Jessie.

“Sure.” Zack turned to her and raised his dark brows meaningfully. “So… let’s talk about _bombs_.”

Cloud made a strangled noise.

Fifteen minutes and a couple of drinks later, Zack and Cloud had both been hired for the Reactor One bombing mission—for fifteen hundred Gil apiece. Cloud had asked for two thousand, but Tifa had talked him down. She felt as if an enormous weight were rolling off her shoulders as Barret shook hands with both young men.

“I feel better about this mission already!” Jessie exulted, pumping her fists. “Thanks, Barret!”

Barret was shaking his head. “They better be worth it,” he grumbled. “Every last Gil.”

“I’m sure they’ll go above and beyond,” said Tifa, as Jessie followed the two guys to a table where a smiling Aerith and Yuffie waited. “Did you talk to Wymer and Narjin?”

“Yeah. I know what I’m payin’ for.”

“So… think you can work with them?” she asked delicately, sitting down on a stool next to him.

“Ah, sure.” Barret leaned back against the counter and spread out his arms. “Zack’s a nice kid. We’ll get along. But he seems a few bullets short of a full belt, if ya know what I mean.”

She frowned. “Maybe.”

“That other little punk, though… I dunno ’bout _him_.”

Tifa looked down, twisting her hands in her lap. “I know him,” she said. “I mean—I knew him a long time ago.”

“That right?” Barret’s voice softened slightly. “What’s his name again?”

Tifa took a deep breath. “Cloud.” It somehow pained her to say it. “We… grew up in the same town.”

“Ah. Childhood friends, huh?”

 _Friends? Were we?_ Tifa thought. “Yeah… I guess you could say that. We haven’t seen each other in seven years.”

“Hmph.” Barret’s forehead creased with interest. _“_ He always been a smug little shit?”

“Uh… not really.” Tifa closed her eyes and tried to picture that shy, stammering teenager once more, but the image in her mind was rapidly fading. “Just… quiet. Used to get in a lot of fights, though.” She drew in a quick breath and exhaled through her nose. “Maybe that’s what he’s truly made for. Fighting.”

“Well, if he’s as good a fighter as he thinks he is, guess I can put up with him.”

She smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

It was now a few minutes past eleven. Aerith padded barefoot across the room to Tifa, looking anxious. “I’ve gotta go,” she said, her eyes on the clock behind the bar. “I promised Mom I’d be home before midnight, and the last train leaves at eleven-twenty.”

“Okay. I’ll come with.” Tifa glanced down at Aerith’s bare feet. “Why’d you take your boots off?”

“Because they were killing my toes,” Aerith moaned. “Should’ve worn socks, but they were too tight. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it to the station. Ah, the price of a woman’s vanity.” She heaved a deep sigh.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Tifa thought quickly. “I’ve got some flats at the apartment you can borrow. They’ll be a little big on you, but they should get you there just fine.”

“Thanks,” sighed Aerith. “Then we’d better hurry.”

“Sure thing. You sit down. I’ll be back in a flash.”

When Tifa breathlessly returned a few minutes later with a pair of soft leather moccasins in hand, as well as her overnight bag, she was surprised to find Cloud waiting for her by the door.

“Hey,” he said. “Your friend said you needed to catch the next train. We’re going that way too, so we’ll walk with you.”

“Oh… okay. Thanks.”

“And…” He swallowed. “I wanted to say… that I’m sorry.”

Tifa felt the blood drain from her cheeks. All at once she knew, with all her heart, that she didn’t want his apology. She’d had no business listening to his conversation with Zack, and she couldn’t bear the thought of hearing him dredge it all up again.

“It’s okay, Cloud,” she told him. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

Tifa gave a long sigh, forcing herself to look into his turquoise eyes. He blinked a few times, but held on to her gaze.

“People change,” she said softly. “You and I are grown up now. We’re not who we used to be anymore, and that’s okay. We don’t have to like everything about each other… but… we can still be friends, right?”

“Yeah. Sure.” His expression was unreadable. “Friends.”

Tifa gave him a smile and a nod, then turned to Aerith, who had already snatched the shoes out of her hand and gratefully stepped into them. “Ready?”

“Yep.”

With a quick farewell and an outpouring of profuse thank-yous to the rest of the crew, Tifa and Aerith walked through the doors side by side. The steel sky was dark, sketched all over with lines of white pinpricks in a sterile imitation of a star-sprinkled night.

“What the hell are _you_ doing here?” Cloud’s low voice, several paces behind them, was almost a snarl.

Tifa and Aerith both whipped around. A young man with flamboyantly red hair and red marks tattooed under his eyes was slouching against the railing at the side of Seventh Heaven’s wide patio. He wore a form-fitting black suit with a white collar that lay open all the way down to the middle of his chest, which should have made him look sloppy, but the impression ran more toward a casual, rakish elegance.

“Drinkin’,” the man slurred. “Same’s you.”

“The hell you are.”

Apparently Cloud had called his bluff, for the man seemed to sober up in an instant.

“Should be askin’ _you_ the same question,” he said, in a careless drawl. “Sector Seven is the place to be tonight, huh?”

“That’s right. And if it’s not already obvious, we’re taking some ladies home from a party,” rejoined Cloud. “Anything beyond that is _our_ business.”

“Fair enough.” The man looked mildly amused. “But when _my_ business goes out walkin’ with _your_ business, then it _all_ becomes my business.”

Cloud and Zack looked at each other, perplexed. All of a sudden, Aerith inserted herself into the situation.

“Oh, that’s _so_ witty,” she said to the red-haired man, her tone loaded with sarcasm. “We’d love to stay and chat, but we’ve got a train to catch. C’mon, guys!” She took Tifa by the arm and began to march furiously toward the station.

“What was _that_ about?” Tifa hissed, looking back over her shoulder.

“Nothing,” panted Aerith. “I just don’t want to miss the train! Mom’ll murder me!”

“Okay. I just had the feeling that… something was wrong.”

“Well, something _is_...” Aerith threw a quick glance backward as if to make sure the guys were still out of earshot.

“What?”

“What do you think, Tifa? You totally friendzoned Cloud!”

“ _Aerith_!” Tifa felt her cheeks burn scarlet.

“Well, you did!”

“I did _not_ ,” Tifa said emphatically. “How can you friendzone someone who’s not even interested in you?”

Aerith laughed. “Oh, he’s interested, all right. He’s just too proud to admit it.”

Tifa shook her head. “Whatever you say.” Cloud had never shown any interest in her—not _that_ kind. She’d actually been dense enough to think he was asking her on a date all those years ago, that night at the water tower.

“What’s so funny?” she heard Cloud ask from behind them. They were catching up fast.

“Nothing!” the girls chirped in unison.

“That means it’s about _us_ ,” said Zack, a smile in his voice.

“Come up here and walk with us, then, and you won’t miss anything!” Aerith teased back.

Slowly the two guys fell into step beside the two girls on their walk through Sector Seven. The narrow, cluttered streets, which had been quiet earlier, now teemed with life. Neon signs blazed, chains of festive lights hung across corrugated metal roofs, and people of all ages chatted in loose clusters outside the various shops and food stalls.

“Hey!” called out a man in a stained apron. “You guys must be the new mercs in town! I hear you’ll do anything!”

“You bet!” said Zack.

“For the right price,” Cloud added over his shoulder as he hustled Zack along. “But right now we gotta run.”

“Come see me tomorrow!” the man shouted after them.

“Wow,” said Aerith as she shuffled down the cobbled road in Tifa’s too-large shoes, her white boots swinging from one hand. “Word travels fast!”

“Sure does.” Tifa hitched up her bag and tried to ignore the nagging pain that accompanied every step she took. The heels of her own boots were much shorter than Aerith’s, but the toes were still rather narrow. She regretted not grabbing a change of shoes for herself, back at the apartment.

Aerith looked at her watch and gasped. “It’s eleven-fifteen! Hurry!”

She began to walk faster, and Tifa, Cloud, and Zack followed close behind. By the time they all approached the undercity station, she was huffing and puffing.

A handful of passengers began to board.

“Shit!” said Aerith. She lunged forward and started to run as fast as she could, which wasn’t very fast. Tifa’s shoes flopped around loosely on her small feet.

She tripped.

Without missing a beat, Zack swept her up into his arms, shoes and boots and all, and kept on sprinting toward the train.

The doors began to close.

Cloud dashed ahead of them, Tifa hot on his heels. As she tossed a handful of coins to the sputtering attendant, he drew his sword and jammed it between the sliding metal doors, forcing them back open just enough for all four of them to tumble inside. The train began to pick up speed.

“Photo finish!” gasped Tifa as she collapsed into the nearest seat, laughing. The car was empty.

Zack gently lowered Aerith onto the slick vinyl bench next to Tifa. She smiled up at him and batted her lashes. “My hero.”

“No biggie.” Zack grinned, plopping himself down across from her. “Just what I do for a living.”

“Nice one.” Cloud settled in at his side, arms folded.

“All thanks to you,” said Tifa.

Cloud turned to her in surprise. “It was a team effort,” he replied, a faint smile on his lips. “Here—we owe you for the fare.” He pressed a few Gil into her palm, and Tifa felt a tingling rush of heat as his gloved fingertips brushed her bare skin.

“So do I,” said Aerith. She began to dig through her purse, then froze as she glanced down at her feet. One brown moccasin was missing. “Oh, Tifa! I’m so sorry!” she groaned.

“Don’t worry about it.” Tifa waved a careless hand. “But how are you going to walk all the way to your house?”

“I guess I’ll just have to wear these silly things again.” Aerith lowered her gaze to the fancy white boots in her lap and made a face. “Oh, well. I’ll survive.”

“You live in Sector Five, right?” Zack asked her.

“Yep.” Aerith looked up at him, hope shining in her eyes. “How’d you know?”

“Cloud told me. He asked Tifa.”

“Oh.”

Zack leaned toward her with his elbows on his knees. “You’ve always lived there?”

“I’ve lived in Midgar all my life,” Aerith said vaguely.

“Do you like it? Down here, I mean?”

“Yeah. I do, actually. I love the steel sky. Call me weird, but the real sky scares me.”

“That _is_ kinda weird,” said Zack, looking off to the side.

Aerith gave a sad little sigh, but a moment later her eyes lit up with mischief. “Listen to this,” she whispered, nudging Tifa with her elbow. She sat up and cleared her throat. “So… where are _you_ from, Zack?”

“Me?” he said innocently. “Gongaga.”

Aerith snorted and started to giggle uncontrollably. Tifa failed to hold back a chuckle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Cloud was smiling. Just a little.

“Hey, that’s my hometown!” Zack sounded a bit hurt. “Does it really sound that funny?”

Aerith gave him a winsome smile. “Oh, I just like the way you say it.”

“Oh.” Zack blushed, grinning at her. “Gongaga,” he said again.

The girls snickered.

“Gongaga.”

Aerith collapsed into Tifa, shaking with laughter.

“Gongaga, Gongaga, Gongaga—”

“Okay, you can stop now,” groaned Cloud, giving him a shove. He looked a little pained.

Aerith sighed, dabbing her eyes on her sleeve, while Zack leaned back in his seat and stretched out his long legs with his arms crossed behind his head. He looked extremely pleased with himself. Cloud sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Cloud,” Aerith said brightly. “Is it true that you and Tifa grew up in the same town?”

“What?” said Zack.

Cloud silenced him with a look, then turned to Aerith. “Sure is.” His eyes narrowed. “But don’t you already know about all that? I thought you two were best friends.”

“Just making conversation,” Aerith huffed, her cheeks pink. “Anyway, I think it’s sweet. The childhood friends reunite!”

“Yeah.” Tifa shifted in her seat. “It’s been… a long time.”

“Seven years, right?” said Aerith.

“Give or take,” Tifa mumbled, avoiding Cloud’s eyes.

“Wow,” said Zack. “I wonder what that feels like… to see someone again, after so long. I haven’t seen my parents in ten years, but… it hasn’t been safe for me to visit them.”

The train car fell silent. Aerith was tracing an idle finger over the stitching on one of the boots in her lap.

“Because of Shinra?” Tifa asked gently.

Zack shot a quick glance at Cloud, then nodded. “Yeah. Because of Shinra. But at least I know they’re still alive.”

Tifa’s stomach began to churn. She’d just remembered—though she knew Barret had his doubts—that an earlier incarnation of AVALANCHE had been blamed for the deadly reactor explosion in Gongaga, some time after the Nibelheim incident. Did Zack even know about it? Did he fully realize what he’d just signed up for?

But if Jessie built the bomb correctly, she reminded herself, then it should just take out the reactor. Nobody would get hurt.

“You really miss them, huh?” Aerith’s voice was soft.

Zack grunted and nodded quietly, his head bowed.

A strained silence fell over the four once again. The train had left Sector Seven far behind and was spiraling its way up the Corkscrew Tunnel.

“Uh… how were you guys planning to get to the Sector Five undercity?” Cloud asked, looking out the window above Tifa’s head. “This train is going up.”

“Oh, we’ll get off at Sector One and then take the next train back down to Sector Five,” said Aerith. “The trains don’t go between sectors in the slums.”

“Since the Sector Six plate fell during construction, there’s no safe route between Five and Seven, either,” Tifa added. “It’s easier to just ride the train.”

“Then it’s just a short walk to my house,” Aerith finished.

Zack and Cloud looked at each other and exchanged a nod.

“We’ll ride down with you,” said Cloud.

“Oh!” Tifa put a hand to her lips, embarrassed. “That’s… kind of you, but we can take care of ourselves. Right, Aerith?”

“Yeah, but… why not?” Aerith’s eyes twinkled. “They can escort us to the house. They’ll be our bodyguards!”

“That’s a great idea!” Zack beamed at her.

“Bodyguards?” Cloud lifted his blond brows. “That’s gonna cost you.”

“Let’s see…” Aerith looked at Zack, her eyes suddenly misty. She swallowed and took a deep breath. “How about… one date?”

Zack grinned. “You got it!”

“Zack!” Cloud looked scandalized. “We don’t accept dates as payment!”

“Why not?”

“Yeah, why not?” Aerith leaned forward in her seat and smiled impishly at Cloud. “Don’t you wanna earn a _priceless_ reward?” She threw an arm around Tifa’s shoulders.

“Aerith!” Tifa’s face was flaming.

“It’s fine,” Cloud said hastily, looking a bit pink. “I’ll do it for free. Somebody’s gotta keep an eye on this bonehead, anyway.”

“Hey!” said Zack.

The train screeched to a stop at Sector One. The SOLDIERs mounted their swords, Aerith tugged on her white boots, and Tifa shouldered her khaki duffel as they exited the sliding doors. They all stood together on the concrete platform, listening, waiting.

Aerith checked her watch for the tenth time. “Just a few more minutes,” she said confidently.

“Wait a sec.” Tifa looked at Cloud and Zack with sudden alarm. “We just got off the last train to the plate. How are you guys getting back home?”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” said Zack. “We’ll just stay—”

“Don’t worry about us,” Cloud cut him off quickly, giving him a disapproving look. “We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah! We’ll be fine!” Zack repeated with a little too much enthusiasm.

Tifa caught Aerith’s eye and saw her own puzzled expression reflected there.

“Here it comes!” Zack made a fist and pumped his arm as the horn sounded and the beaming headlight swept around the curve. Aerith smiled tenderly, gazing at him with dewy eyes. The slum-bound train puffed and skidded to a stop in front of them.

“How far is it to your house from the station?” Zack asked Aerith, once they’d all found seats and were winding their way down the dark tunnel again.

“About a ten-minute walk.” Aerith wiggled in her seat and spread out her pink skirt over her crossed knees. “Not too far.”

“You guys really put yourselves out tonight,” Tifa said uneasily, fiddling with the zipper on her bag. “You didn’t have to come all this way just for us.”

“No big deal,” said Cloud.

“Come back to Seventh Heaven when you can,” she urged. “I’ll figure out a way to make it up to you both. I’ll even throw in free drinks whenever you want.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Tifa sighed and cast her eyes downward. “Thanks.”

“So, what do you do, Aerith?” Zack asked, after a minute. “Like, uh… do you have a job?”

“I sell flowers,” she replied.

“Really? Where do you get them? They don’t even grow around here.”

“They do where I live.”

Zack stared. “Get outta here! In the _slums_? You’re kidding!”

“Am I?” Aerith smiled mysteriously. “Guess you’ll have to see.”

“Wow. I bet you make a lot of money.”

“Yeah, I do pretty well. I can’t carry that many flowers at a time, though. I used to have a nice cart, but it broke.”

“I bet I could fix it,” Zack said eagerly.

Aerith gasped. Her eyes became enormously wide, and tears began to spill down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” Zack looked positively flummoxed.

“Nothing.” Aerith shook her head and laughed, wiping her face on her sleeve again. “I’m just… happy. It’s good to be alive, you know?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed the nape of his neck beneath his mane of black hair and smiled shyly. “I guess it is.”

The four of them continued to make awkward small talk until the train finally rumbled to a stop in the slums of Sector Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the soap opera, y’all. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> “Life’s A Dance” - Song written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin, performed by John Michael Montgomery. Its inclusion here was a complete accident. I was looking up songs for country swing dancing and it popped up on a list and not only do the lyrics scream Cloti, they perfectly fit Cloud’s arc in this story. It’s a great song - find it on YouTube if you haven’t heard it before. They really are words to live by!
> 
> The title of the next chapter is “Lost, Found, and Lost Again”.


	5. Lost, Found, and Lost Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and Aerith continue to grapple with the evening’s revelations. The girls of Seventh Heaven begin to seek a new diversion. Meanwhile, the Reactor One mission looms ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Strategic flirting?” Tifa’s lips twitched. “Luca, you’re too much.”
> 
> “Why not? Listen, Tifa. I’m a little older than you girls, and I’ve let plenty of good things get away from me simply because I was too shy. When you really want a man, I think it’s always better to show more affection rather than less. Not many of them have the heart to fall in love without a little encouragement.”

Tifa, Cloud, and Zack followed Aerith’s light-footed steps down the steel platform of the Sector Five undercity station and into the heart of the town. Before they’d gotten off the train, Tifa had found some adhesive bandages in her duffel and applied them to the raw red spots on Aerith’s toes. She was still limping slightly, but was able to walk without too much pain.

Without Aerith to lead them, Tifa knew they’d all be lost in a heartbeat. They navigated countless winding paths that cut through shoulder-high piles of metal scrap, climbed up and down random steps built around craggy rock formations, and wobbled over makeshift bridges nailed together with loose wooden planks.

“Ow!” Cloud yelled suddenly, and Tifa saw him grab his shin. “Dammit,” he muttered.

Aerith stopped and turned around. “You okay back there?”

“I’m fine.” He grumbled something about working for free.

“Hey! You’re getting paid right now!” Aerith reminded him, nudging Tifa in his direction.

“Uh… right.”

Aerith skipped on ahead, and Zack jogged after her until he fell into step beside her. Cloud remained next to Tifa. He looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“Don’t let Aerith get to you,” Tifa said calmly, trying to ignore the lingering warmth on her cheeks. “She can be a bit much sometimes, but she means well. And… uh… she may have had a little too much to drink.”

Cloud shrugged. “It’s fine.” He was hobbling slightly.

“Are you hurt?”

“Not too bad. Just banged my shin on something. These streets down here are full of dangerous crap.”

They walked on together past rows of shanty houses and shops like the ones in Sector Seven, where a few people loitered. Tifa set a quick pace, though she shuffled from time to time as her new boots rubbed even more painfully against her toes, while Cloud took long, relaxed strides, his large broadsword bouncing on his back. His refusal to speak more than a few words at a time was maddening, and Tifa had so many nagging questions that at last she couldn’t stand it any longer.

“So, uh… who was that guy that was giving you trouble back at the bar?” she began, with some trepidation.

He inclined his face to her. “Who?”

“That redheaded guy in the suit.”

“Oh.” Cloud jammed his hands into his pockets, looking down. “Just… an old customer. One who wouldn’t pay. Thinks we still owe him some work.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. Why so curious?”

“I don’t know. Something just didn’t sit right, I guess.”

“Confidentiality is part of the job,” he said shortly. “We don’t talk to anyone about his business, _or_ yours.”

Tifa sighed. “I get it.”

They walked in silence for another minute. Then she moved closer to him, laying a hand briefly on his upper arm. The fleeting touch of his warm skin sent a shock through her. He started, his blue eyes instantly seeking hers.

“I meant what I said earlier,” she told him, once she’d got her breath. “You’re welcome to come out to Seventh Heaven anytime. You and I could try to catch up some more. Talk about what we’ve been up to for the last… uh, since we last saw each other.”

“If I can find the time.” Cloud stepped carefully around a pile of overflowing trash bags. “Sure you won’t be too busy with your other customers, though?”

That stung a little. “I might,” she admitted with a sigh. “Maybe not the best idea.”

“There isn’t much to tell, anyway,” he went on. “I’ve just been working for Shinra all these years. Nothing special… or heroic.” His tone was bitter.

“Anything… memorable?”

He winced suddenly, pain twisting across his brow. “Not really.”

“Sorry. Sounds like it’s a touchy subject.”

“Not exactly small talk,” he said, looking away from her. “Uh… but what about you? Still doing martial arts?”

 _How did he know about that?_ Tifa lost her train of thought for a moment. “Yeah... I’ve gotten pretty good at defending myself.” She smiled ruefully. “Like we say in the slums, the only one who’s gonna look out for you, is _you_.”

“Right,” said Cloud. “So, how long have you been in Midgar?”

“I…” Tifa tried to think, but then her breath snagged and she nearly tripped as an unexpected sequence of chilling memories slammed into her all at once: kneeling over her father’s lifeless body on the cold metal floor of the reactor… coming face to face with a pair of green, glowing, slitted eyes… waking up to the stark white of a hospital room, alone, unable to draw a breath without searing pain… She understood why Cloud had avoided talking about Nibelheim on the train earlier, when Aerith had brought it up… but he hadn’t even _been_ there… and why didn’t Zack seem to remember anything?

“About five years,” she managed, at last. “I met Barret and worked at the bar until I was old enough to be—to serve drinks. And that’s when I decided to join… our group.” Her hands closed into fists. “I wanted to make Shinra pay for everything they took from us.”

Cloud hummed his acknowledgment, but didn’t say anything else. They were now passing the Leaf House, the orphanage where Biggs had grown up. Tifa stole a glance at him and noticed that his eyes were tracking Aerith, whose long curls bobbed along with her dainty steps as she and Zack walked several paces ahead of them, entering a narrow alleyway between some tumbledown wooden buildings.

“You and Aerith are pretty close, huh?” he asked her suddenly.

“Yeah.”

“So, you told her about me?”

An uncomfortable warmth began to creep up Tifa’s neck. “I… might have.”

“What did you tell her?”

She cleared her throat. “Just… that we lived next door to each other, until you left town to join SOLDIER. That’s pretty much it.”

“Oh.”

“Aaand… it’s eleven fifty-six!” Aerith crowed as she and Zack paused at the top of a rickety bridge over a gurgling gully. “We made it!”

Cloud and Tifa climbed the few remaining steps, and they all stood there for a moment, gazing quietly at the picturesque scene. The Gainsborough house stood on a grassy hill in front of a towering rock face, where a whispering waterfall spilled into a rushing stream. Three stories high, with triangular gabled windows peeking out from a low red roof and a covered balcony at the very top, it resembled an old country cottage, built in a style that spoke of a simpler time, long before the construction of the steel plate above them and the bustling upper city.

But the most striking thing about Aerith’s residence wasn’t the house itself, or even the unique landscape. It was the abundance of _life_ —the staggering profusion of plants that were not only growing, but thriving there. The stone-paved path ahead of them rambled around a deep turquoise pond strewn with floating clusters of lily pads, connecting verdant fields where hundreds of white and yellow lilies nodded drowsily, tinted a luminous pale green in the artificial light. Feathery foxtails waved amid tall grasses. Red snapdragons poked out from between rocks. Wide, glossy leaves of tropical plants mingled with colorful dots of flowering shrubs, embracing the front of the house.

“Whoa!” Zack’s mouth hung open as he took in the view. “This place is like _paradise_! I haven’t seen this much green since I left home!”

“It’s amazing,” Cloud agreed, standing next to him.

“How is this even possible?” Zack raked a hand through his shaggy hair.

Tifa rested a hand on the railing and looked down, noticing a faint green glow beneath the water as it shimmered through the gully. She’d often wondered the same thing. Aerith always said it was the Lifestream, the flowing essence of the Planet’s energy, relentlessly harvested by Shinra and converted to Mako in the giant reactors that supplied electric power to the city. It was the very reason Midgar had been built where it now stood. But why it only seemed to manifest in this particular spot, down here in a forsaken place that never saw natural sunlight, she couldn’t fathom.

They took a few more steps along the path that circled the pond. Then Aerith stopped and bowed her head, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.

“And this is where we part.” She turned to look up at Cloud and Zack, her eyes sad. “I wish I could invite you guys in, but it’s midnight and my mom would totally freak out. She’s… kinda overprotective of me. I’m really sorry.”

“No worries,” said Zack.

“Yeah,” Cloud agreed. “We’ll manage.”

“But I’ll definitely have you all over some other time for her cooking,” Aerith insisted. “It’s almost as good as Tifa’s!”

Tifa smiled. “It’s always a treat to have someone else cook for you.”

“Not if that someone’s _me_ ,” Aerith said with a mock shudder. “I burn everything I touch. Maybe one day I’ll learn. Well, good night, guys! And thanks for everything!” She gave Zack a lingering look, then dashed away, swinging her arms girlishly as she went.

“Yeah.” Tifa looked down. “Thanks.” When she lifted her eyes, she found herself stumbling into Cloud’s intense gaze. Heat flooded her cheeks. “Uh… good night.”

“Good night, Tifa,” she thought she heard him faintly say, once she’d left him far behind.

As soon as the girls were inside the house and the door had closed behind them, Aerith clapped her hands to her mouth and let out a shriek.

Quick as a wink, Elmyra Gainsborough came running down the stairs.

“Aerith Jane! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry!” Aerith’s face was bright red. “I-I saw a spider.”

“Where?”

“Oh, Tifa killed it.”

“Tifa?” 

Tifa stepped forward, trying not to laugh. “Hi, Mrs. Gainsborough.”

“Mom, don’t you remember?” said Aerith when Elmyra continued to frown. “She was going to spend the night.”

“Oh, of course! I’m sorry, Tifa. Please make yourself at home.” Elmyra raised her eyebrows at her daughter. “Did you remember to set up the guest room?”

“Uh huh.”

“Good,” Elmyra said as Aerith began to lead Tifa up the stairs. “You girls have fun, now. Don’t stay up all night!”

Aerith looked at Tifa and winked. “Yes, Mom!”

Once they passed the first landing, Aerith suddenly began to climb faster, racing up the rest of the stairs until she reached her room. Anxiety gripped Tifa’s heart as she followed her inside and shut the door behind them. Aerith stood mutely, looking wildly around, then clutched her hands to the sides of her face, eyes wide, breathing very fast.

“Don’t,” Tifa warned. “Your mom’s gonna think she has a spider problem.”

But instead, Aerith crossed the room as if she were in a trance and collapsed backward on the bed, her hands still spread over her face. She began to weep quietly, trembling all over.

Tifa sat down beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder. With a moan, Aerith rolled sideways into her. She remained there for several minutes, sobbing her heart out while Tifa pushed her wet bangs away from her face and stroked her hair.

“Are you gonna be okay?” Tifa asked at last, when the storm had subsided.

Aerith pushed herself up to a sitting position and took a few deep breaths. Mascara striped her shining cheeks. Tifa offered her a tissue, and she loudly blew her nose into it.

“I-I don’t even know what I’m crying about,” she said with a shaky little laugh. “I’m _happy_. So ridiculously happy. But… I’m sad.” She dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. “I guess it’s because… I just found him again, but then I lost him… and then I got him back… but I still don’t really _have_ him. And all in one night. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel anymore.”

“I know,” Tifa murmured.

“He looks like Zack. He sounds like Zack. Walks like him, talks like him, laughs like him… _smells_ like him, even, but… he’s not the same. And I just don’t understand it.”

“Yeah,” Tifa agreed. “Something isn’t right.”

“When I knew him, sure, he was laid-back and playful.” Aerith managed a tearful smile. “He joked around, flirted, tried to show off, that kind of thing. I knew not to take him too seriously, and I don’t think he expected me to. But…” She lowered her gaze to the soggy tissue in her hands. “There was always this kind of weight he carried around, too. He had fears and concerns that he didn’t talk about. And sadness, sometimes. But now that weight is gone. It’s almost like he’s a younger version of himself, more innocent and carefree… the way he was before life caught up with him.” She looked up at Tifa. “You know what I mean?”

Tifa nodded. “It’s so strange.”

“I’m scared, Tifa.” More tears were standing in Aerith’s eyes. “I’m so scared that I’m gonna fall for him all over again, and… oh, who am I kidding? He’s just too damn cute. He always was, but he looks so grown up now. Like a real _man_. I can’t handle it. Oh, I’m so screwed.” She hugged a ruffled pillow to her chest. “What am I supposed to do now?”

Tifa smiled sadly. “Well, I’m not gonna sit here and try to talk you out of it. Even if he’s not quite the same, he’s still a nice guy. And he really does seem to like you—I mean, he had no problem agreeing to a date with you. I know he’s kind of a flirt, but there might be something there.”

“Oh, I can’t believe I said that!” Aerith mashed the pillow to her face and squealed into it, surfacing with pink cheeks. “But you know, he pulled the same thing on me, way back then. Oh, gosh. You really think he’ll take me up on it? He didn’t ask for my number or anything. What if he comes back _here_?” Her hand flew to her mouth. “What am I gonna tell Mom? She’ll be so confused. She’ll start asking questions—oh, I don’t think I want her to know. He can’t call here.” She flung the pillow away and leaned across the bed on her hands, eyes wide. “Tifa, if you see him—if he comes to the bar—”

“Aerith, slow down.” Tifa nudged her shoulder. “He hasn’t really made a move yet.”

She sat back on her knees. “But you think he will?”

“I don’t know. Just… try to be patient, okay?”

Aerith hiccuped and dabbed at her eyes once more. “I’ll try, but— _ugh_ , it was so hard to sit there and smile and and pretend we just met when there’s so much I want to talk to him about… and I just _can’t_.”

“Mmm.” Tifa sat still, lost in thought. She understood only too well.

“Tifa?” Aerith gave her a searching look. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

Aerith looked down, her hands clasped together. “Is this… the same thing that happened with you and Cloud? Like, you found him, but then you lost him again?”

“No.” Tifa shook her head fervently. “I never actually _had_ Cloud. You can’t lose something you never had in the first place, can you?”

“But you were friends, right?”

“Not really. He was just the boy next door. We didn’t talk much.” Tifa moved to the edge of the bed, looking out the window at the dimly lit garden below. “And yeah, I _did_ kind of have a crush on him once, a long time ago. But I’m over it.”

It hadn’t been a _kind of_ crush, though, Tifa’s nagging inner voice reminded her. It had been _huge_. Huge, but also shallow, immature, adolescent, and ridiculously out of proportion to reality. Imagining him to be something he wasn’t… waiting, wishing, dreaming… fantasizing about him in ways that still made her blush, even now… She squirmed a little, suddenly feeling much too warm. Was Elmyra running the heater tonight?

“Tifa.” Aerith put a hand on her wrist. “Cloud has got it _bad_ for you. I’m not kidding. He’s always looking at you.”

“Why shouldn’t he?” Tifa forced a chuckle, even as she felt the heat spreading. “I’m nice to look at. It’s my _job_ to look that way.”

“Tifa…”

“I’m not his _type_ , Aerith. He’s not interested. I heard it from his own lips. Can we please move on now?”

Aerith sighed and moved away. “Okay. And… I’m sorry. For teasing you guys so much.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Tifa turned back to her and smiled. “C’mon. This is our first sleepover in ages. Nellie’s covering me in the morning. How about we put on some _Maidens_?”

“Ooh!” Aerith squealed. “I’m game!”

The girls quickly undressed and changed into their sleepwear. Aerith slipped into a flowered pink nightgown, while Tifa pulled on a yellow tank top and her favorite pajama pants. They were soft and fuzzy, and their light blue and yellow print featured a little boy and girl Chocobo doing cutesy couple things like sharing a soda, exchanging flowers, and rowing a canoe, with tiny red hearts drawn over their heads.

“And now, for some munchies!” Aerith dashed over to her dresser and began to rummage through the top drawer. “Smackin’ Jack… Stamp’s Champs… ah! Check _these_ out!” She held up a shiny silver bag.

“What are they?”

“Chocolate-covered espresso beans!”

“Wow, Aerith! That’s pretty hard-core.”

“Want some?” She shoved the bag at her.

“Uh… no thanks.”

Soon they were snugly settled in among the piles of pillows on Aerith’s bed with armfuls of snacks. Aerith switched on the oven-sized TV that sat atop an old writing desk and paged through the menu on StreamNet, Shinra’s exclusive streaming service. Sweeping violin music began to play as the intro to _Maidens of Gongaga_ flashed across the screen.

They watched two episodes back to back, the ones Tifa had missed. Halfway through the second, Tifa’s eyelids began to grow heavy.

“Ready for episode five now?” Aerith said, two hours and nearly half the bag of beans later, as the credits rolled.

Tifa yawned hugely and stretched out on the bed. “Huh?”

Aerith pounced on her. “Tifa Elizabeth Lockhart, don’t you _dare_ fall asleep!” Her eyes were slightly wild. “We just got caught up! I haven’t seen this one yet—I was saving it to watch with you!”

“Okay… put it on.” Tifa suppressed another yawn.

She lay on her stomach with a pillow hugged to her chest while Aerith sat cross-legged next to her, eyes glued to the TV, maintaining a steady input of espresso beans to her mouth. Tifa could hardly stay awake. She began to drift in and out. Suddenly a tiny shriek from Aerith jerked her to consciousness, and she squinted at the flickering screen.

A certain young maiden was lying beneath a certain young gentleman in a very compromising position. Her bosom, held in place by a rigidly laced bodice, was heaving. The music swelled.

“Please, Lord Farrington… please…”

Aerith had her hands over her eyes. “He’s gonna rip it off! I can’t watch!”

“Nope.” Tifa yawned and snuggled back down into her pillow. “Fade to black.”

*^*^*^*^*

The next morning, Tifa returned to Sector Seven in the usual roundabout way and arrived on the nine o’clock train, a bit tired but content as she walked to her apartment. She’d enjoyed a pleasant breakfast with Elmyra, during which she’d dodged a few questions about the dance, and had left Aerith in her room still half-asleep and somewhat delirious.

For most of the night, Aerith had been, quite literally, full of beans. She’d talked until dawn—mostly about Zack. Tifa didn’t remember much of what she’d said, but at one point Aerith had explicitly stated her intention to share the rest of the chocolate-covered pebbles of rocket fuel with her sweetheart the next time they met. Tifa thought that giving Zack anything containing that much caffeine was a really bad idea.

After dropping off her bag in her room, she decided to skip her morning workout and went instead to check on the state of Seventh Heaven. Relief melted over her as she pushed through the doors. The clean-up crew had done themselves proud. Every last glass had been washed, the floor shone, and all the decorations from the party were gone… except for the gigantic yellow Chocobo.

Nellie was behind the counter as expected, wearing a bright tie-dyed T-shirt that didn’t match her grumpy expression. She was deep in conversation with Jessie and Yuffie. Luca and Marlene were also perched on stools, eating and talking, while Marle stood behind them.

“There’s my girl!” The older woman greeted Tifa as she approached the bar.

“Good morning, Marle.” Tifa smiled as she slid into the empty seat in between Marlene and Jessie. “This place looks incredible,” she said to the older girls. “I don’t think the floor was this clean before the party.”

“Oh, that was Biggs.” Jessie winked at her. “He’s got a real hard-on for cleanliness.”

Nellie snorted. “But not for _you_ , apparently.”

Yuffie frowned at them. “Huh?”

Tifa cleared her throat. “Uh, Yuffie… when’s this guy getting picked up?” She gestured toward the stuffed bird.

“Oh, Uncle Sam’s sending a carriage around ten.”

“Aww!” Marlene jumped up and dashed over to hug the Chocobo, burying her face in its plush feathers. “I wanna keep him forever!”

“You’ll get to see a real one pretty soon!” Tifa promised her. “Now come back here and finish your eggs.”

“Can I get you something to eat, Tifa?” Nellie offered a smile, but it was a little strained.

“Oh, thanks, but I had breakfast at Aerith’s. Thought I’d just come and hang out for a while. Need any help?”

“Nah, I got it, but thaaanksssh.” Nellie yawned out the last word.

“You girls are all so droopy this morning!” Marle scolded, arms akimbo. “Didn’t you get enough sleep?”

“We tried,” said Nellie, “but a certain ninja wouldn’t shut up.” She shot Yuffie a dirty look.

“Hey! It wasn’t just me!” Yuffie cried.

“What’s this?” Tifa asked her.

“Oh, we all spent the night at Jessie’s place,” said Yuffie, bouncing in her seat. “We had so much fun! We played Truth or Dare and gave each other manicures.” She flashed a set of bright blue sparkly nails under Tifa’s nose.

“Nice,” said Tifa, trying not to show her uneasiness. She wasn’t sure Jessie and Nellie were the greatest influence on her young cousin. They might need to have a talk later.

“And I dared Jessie to go outside and sing that song my dad likes, the one we always used to make fun of _—_ ”

“You got that right!” Jessie slapped the counter. “And I sounded damn good singing it, too!”

“At 2:30 A.M.,” said Nellie. “Gods, it was awful. And _loud_.”

Jessie shot her a devilish look, then opened her mouth and began to sing. Tifa knew she had a good voice—she’d performed on stage before, in another life—but today she seemed to be trying to emulate the pitch of a yowling, three-hundred-pound cat.

“Feelings… nothin’ more than feelings…”

Tifa snorted and stuffed a fist into her mouth, vividly recalling all the different ways they’d parodied this song when Uncle Godo wasn’t around. Yuffie cackled like a fiend.

“ _Please_ stop,” Nellie moaned.

“…trying to forget my feelings of _love_ …”

“We all wish we could forget it, too…”

Yuffie was laughing so hard she nearly fell off her stool. Marlene was laughing, too, but more at Yuffie than at Jessie, while Luca snickered softly and Marle simply shook her head and smiled at them all like a benevolent grandma.

“ _Feelings_ ,” Jessie belted out, one hand flung outward and the other clutching the front of her shirt, “woah, woah, woah, _feelings_ …”

The doors opened. Jessie stopped mid- _woah_.

A Shinra infantryman in a royal-blue uniform walked in, his weapon held relaxed at his side. His metal helmet hid his eyes, but Tifa could tell he was a bit flustered at the sight of so many giggling girls looking at him, not to mention the beady eyes of a six-foot plush Chocobo.

“Uh… can I have a coffee?”

“Sure,” said Nellie, suddenly chipper. “Coming right up.”

The silence in the room was stifling. Tifa knew she’d crack up again if she caught Yuffie’s eye, so she looked down at her hands instead. The soldier accepted his coffee and seated himself at an empty table. Meanwhile, Nellie leaned over and started whispering to Jessie.

“He’s cute.”

“I know!” Jessie whispered back.

“Go talk to him.”

“Nah, better not… Barret wouldn’t like it.”

“Come on! Don’t you wanna see what’s under that helmet?”

“Oh, I don’t know…”

Nellie huffed through her nose and busied herself wiping the drips in front of the coffee pot. A few seconds later, Yuffie jumped up and sauntered over to the soldier.

“Hey,” she said, tilting sideways on one leg with her hands clasped behind her back. “I’m Yuffie. Do you work around here?”

The man looked up at her, startled. “Yeah… I’m usually at the station, but sometimes they rotate me out here.”

“Oh. Where do you guys stay at?”

“Upper Sector Seven, military housing. Our complex is called Merry Town.” He smiled wryly.

“Sounds like a fun place.”

“Well, I don’t know what Shinra was smokin’ when they named it, but we’d sure like to get our hands on some.” He gave a rough chuckle. “It’s not a town, and it’s not merry, either. Just a bunch of us guys sitting around when we’re not on duty.”

“That’s a bummer. You ever go out?”

He shrugged. “We hang out at a local pizza joint, sometimes. But it’s not as nice as this place.”

“Maybe what you guys need is some good company.” Yuffie winked at him.

“Maybe.” The soldier grinned back. “Do you work here?”

“Yeah, I just started. But I also do some ninja work on the side.”

He put down his coffee. “Come again?”

“I’m a _ninja_.” Yuffie lifted her chin and clapped her hands to her hips. “Wutai’s finest, in fact!”

“Wutai, huh?” He sounded grim. “Might wanna keep that quiet. The war’s over, but… well, you know how some people are. They might start making the wrong kind of assumptions.”

“Oh, right.” Yuffie blew it off. “Well, nice talkin’ to ya! What’s your name?”

“Denny,” he said, thrusting out a gloved hand as he stood.

Yuffie grasped it and shook it heartily. When at last the young soldier stepped out into the light, she called, “Come back and see us, Denny!” Then, as soon he was gone, she twirled around to face her audience and tossed her head in triumph, her short hair swinging against one cheek.

“And that, my friends, is how it’s done!”

“Not bad,” said Nellie, looking up as she wiped down the counter. “Still wish he’d taken off that helmet, though.”

“Well, we know where to find him, right?” Jessie made a pair of happy fists. “Up top!”

“Yeah!” Yuffie leaped into the air and kicked up her heels. “Merry Town!”

“You have _got_ to be kidding.” Tifa forced a weak laugh. “Wasn’t last night enough for you girls?”

Jessie spun to face her, eyes wide. “Last _night_? Last night was just more of the same old boring slum guys! Well, except for Zack, but he’s _clearly_ taken.”

“And Cloud, with the personality of a wet dish towel,” Nellie added, holding up the rag she’d been using and dangling it by her fingertips for emphasis. “And the white-haired weirdo.”

Tifa sighed and shook her head. She couldn’t say much more, not with Luca and Marle present, but getting cozy with Shinra troopers wasn’t exactly a genius move in her mind, not with what they were planning.

Marle, on the other hand, laughed indulgently. “You girls know exactly what you want, don’t you? Well, I can’t blame you. As a famous writer once said, if adventures won’t befall a young lady at home, she’d better seek them abroad!”

“I know that one.” Tifa smiled; it was from a favorite novel of both hers and Aerith’s. “But nobody’s leaving Midgar anytime soon, are they?”

Just then a few ordinary, non-uniformed customers drifted in, ending their conversation. Marle left shortly afterward. Not long after they had gone, Tifa saw a flash of yellow outside the window, and soon two men in cowboy hats and boots came stomping in to haul the big Chocobo away. Marlene ran after them to get a glimpse of the live bird that pulled the carriage. Luca followed her.

“Well, _that’s_ done,” said Yuffie as she darted back inside a minute later, closing the doors behind her with a flourish. “That Chocobo sure was a hit! I _told_ you guys I knew how to decorate!” She bounded up to the bar, knelt on top of a stool, and lunged across the counter to poke Jessie, who was quietly staring into the dregs of her coffee. “Hey!”

Jessie jerked her head up. “What?”

“We should start a new business! Me and you and Wedge. We’ll be event planners! I mean, we’ve already hosted the party of the century! I bet we could put together the biggest, wildest, most extravagant parties Midgar has ever seen!”

Jessie shook her head with a sad smile. “Girl, I’ve got a bomb to build, filters to make, and IDs to fake. Wedge has his hands full, too. It’s gonna have to be all you.”

“Hmmm.” Yuffie’s eyes drifted upward in a pensive expression, and Tifa could practically see the gears turning. “Why not? I’ve already got the perfect venue. I know where to get rentals. And Tifa can be my caterer!”

“Hold on.” Tifa laughed. “Seventh Heaven as a party venue? I don’t think that’s gonna fly with Barret.”

“Well, I’ll ask him,” said Yuffie, undeterred. “And if he says no? Then I’ll just find another place!”

Another wave of customers came in. Yuffie served them with renewed enthusiasm, and Tifa finally talked Nellie into letting her help out in the kitchen. She wasn’t keen on returning to her empty apartment anytime soon.

Around half past ten, Jessie finally rose from her seat. “Time for me to quit procrastinating,” she sighed, stretching out her arms. “I’ve got way too much to do, and I’m just gonna work myself into a panic if I think about it too much.”

“I’m sure it’ll all come together,” Tifa reassured her. “You got this.”

The doors opened again. Jessie’s entire demeanor changed instantaneously. She threw her shoulders back and rolled her hips forward, a teasing smile on her lips.

“Well, look at what the cat dragged in!”

Tifa turned around. Whoever it was she had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t the indigo-clad, sword-toting, wild-haired duo of Zack Fair and Cloud Strife.

“Hey, guys!” Yuffie dropped the napkin she was holding. “What’ve you been up to?”

Cloud shrugged. “Working.” His blue eyes scanned the room until they landed on Tifa, then flitted away.

“Just took care of a bunch of wild Shinra dogs that were on the loose,” Zack added with a cocky grin. “No big deal.”

“So modest,” said Nellie from behind the bar, smirking. Zack’s grin stretched even wider.

With eyes full of mischief, Jessie advanced on him. “So, did you ask her out?”

Zack blinked a few times. “Who?”

Jessie tossed an amused glance back to the girls at the bar. “ _Who_ , he says.” She flung out one hand in mock disbelief. “I’m talking about Aerith, you big doofus!”

“Oh.” Zack’s complexion came uncannily close to the exact shade of Aerith’s pink dress. “Well… uh… actually, she asked _me_ out. Right, Cloud?”

Cloud tucked his chin and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Wrong.”

Zack’s face crumpled. “But she _said_ it was a date.” He looked like a puppy who’d just been whacked in the nose with a rolled-up newspaper.

“Zack, who in the world would offer a date as payment for something? That’s just… weird.”

“Ooh,” said Jessie with a finger on her chin, “this is interesting. So you thought you had a date, but now you’re not sure?”

Zack looked completely lost.

“He didn’t.” Cloud shifted his weight and crossed his arms. “It was a joke.” He looked at Tifa, brows drawn. “You told me not to take her seriously, remember? You said she was drunk.”

“Only slightly,” Tifa returned coolly. “Maybe you should’ve asked her what she meant, if it wasn’t clear.”

Zack pinned hopeful eyes on Tifa. “Did she say anything about me last night?”

Tifa’s pulse rose. “I can’t say. That’s between me and Aerith.”

There was silence. Then Cloud cleared his throat and said, “Anyway, we just came to grab a bite before we head back up top.”

“Sure.” Tifa smiled and spread out her hands. “Like I told you, it’s on the house.”

“No need for that,” Cloud said. “We can pay.”

“Well, I won’t accept a single Gil from either one of you.” Before he could say another word, Tifa had turned to Nellie. “Let me take care of this, okay?”

Zack and Cloud both ordered Tifa’s famous waffles and found themselves a table near a window, where they sat face to face, conversing quietly. Tifa observed them from the kitchen while she heated up the iron and whisked flour into eggs and buttermilk. It was so peculiar, the way Zack seemed to defer to Cloud as if to an older brother, when it really should have been the other way around. He’d been much more confident and decisive when she had met him in Nibelheim. Once more, she pondered what Aerith had said about him being different.

She poured the batter and closed the iron, watching the steam curl from beneath the heavy lid, raising it at just the right time. As always, the waffles emerged a perfect shade of golden brown. She hadn’t burned one in years.

When she carried the tray to the table, Cloud looked up at her, but said nothing.

“Where did you guys end up staying last night?” Tifa asked him as she set down their plates and handed them their cutlery.

“In a hotel,” Cloud said shortly. He didn’t meet her eyes.

“Yeah,” Zack chimed in, flooding his waffles with syrup. “It was pretty crappy, though!”

Cloud threw him a _shut-up-you-moron_ look.

“Really?” Jessie had appeared at Tifa’s elbow, Yuffie close behind. “Where?”

“Don’t recall,” said Cloud, his face hidden behind his glass of milk.

Zack’s dark brows knit together, then relaxed. “Oh, I remember!” He poked a finger into the air. “It was called… the Savvy Snoozer.”

Jessie and Nellie burst out laughing. After a beat, Yuffie joined in.

“ _Dammit_ , Zack.” Cloud’s face had shifted into deep maroon.

“That’s hilarious!” Yuffie cackled. “What kind of a place _is_ that?”

“It’s just a cheap motel in Sector Six.” Tifa tried to sound casual.

“Well, then.” Jessie’s eyes held a diabolical gleam. “Did you boys enjoy the sights of Wall Market?”

“Nothing we haven’t seen before.” Cloud seemed to be looking anywhere but at Tifa.

“How about the sounds? And the _squalor_?” quipped Nellie, stepping out from behind the bar.

“You got the squalor part right,” grumbled Cloud.

“Oh, it wasn’t so bad,” said Zack. “We didn’t get much sleep, though.” When Jessie and Nellie both shrieked with laughter, confusion wrinkled his brow. “What?”

“Come on, guys,” Tifa pleaded. “Yuffie doesn’t need to hear all this.”

Yuffie whirled on her. “What are you, my chaperone?”

“She’s not a little kid, Tifa,” snapped Jessie. “Why don’t you just chill, okay?”

Tifa’s cheeks burned. She ducked her head and excused herself to the restroom, leaving the three girls to hover around the two SOLDIERs as they ate. She had no desire to know what Zack and Cloud had been up to in Wall Market, and she hoped Jessie and Nellie would have the decency to let the subject drop. Then again, Yuffie probably wasn’t nearly as innocent as Tifa had been at her age. She was only sixteen, but she was growing up fast, and she clearly didn’t want to be mothered. And she could definitely take care of herself. Maybe Jessie was right… it was time to chill.

“When are you guys gonna throw us a dance at Featherfield?” Yuffie was aiming the full force of her energetic charm at Zack when Tifa returned. “We’re all dying to see your place, and _you’re_ a man who understands how to party!”

“Oh, we’ll definitely make that happen soon!” Zack was beaming. “How about—”

“Hold it,” Cloud cut in. “We can’t just—”

“Nobody was asking _you_ ,” Yuffie snarled. Cloud flushed pink, and Zack cleared his throat.

Jessie quickly turned the subject to last night’s dance. Soon they were all merrily engaged in a play-by-play of the infamous Chocobo Strut, complete with the requisite waddling and shaking. Tifa watched them with conflicting emotions as she tidied the kitchen. Zack was obviously enjoying himself, but Cloud seemed to have a permanent scowl etched on his face. He didn’t speak another word, and the girls continued to ignore him.

*^*^*^*^*

Eleven o’clock arrived. Cloud and Zack had finally left to catch the next train. Tifa sent Nellie home early to take a nap and closed the bar herself, throwing together a hearty salad full of leftover chicken and mixed greens for her lunch, as usual. Yuffie washed dishes while chattering nonstop about her party planning ambitions, then departed on her daily rounds to change water filters for Jessie. As she skipped out the door, Tifa thought she saw the bulge of a new Materia in the back pocket of her shorts.

Troubled thoughts still swirled around in her head as she walked purposefully toward the train station that afternoon. She was beginning to wonder if she’d done nothing but stir up a fiasco by getting Zack and Aerith back together, with her so confused and desperate and him so utterly clueless. What she wanted most right now was a listening ear—and perhaps some sane advice. If it only concerned herself she’d talk to Marle, but the kind-hearted landlady had a habit of getting too… _involved_. Tifa had no problem imagining a scenario with Zack and Cloud perched on the edge of Marle’s white couch, sipping jasmine tea in their stocking feet—Marle didn’t allow shoes or boots or swords anywhere near her mauve shag carpet—while she lectured them both on how to properly woo a lady.

Only Luca fit the bill. Tifa had known her for almost as long as she’d known Barret, and though her insights could be rather mundane, she had a good head on her shoulders.

Tifa walked until she approached the station. She didn’t often stop on her way back to the bar, but today she had a little time, and the new sign above the crooked, blue-painted food stall immediately caught her attention.

_Lucky Luca’s Eats_

_Home of the Fried Marche_

Luca wore a yellow striped apron and a matching cap over her dark brown ponytail. There’d once been a time when everyone had called her Tifa’s twin. At first glance, they could easily be mistaken for one another. Both of them brunettes, the two were about the same height, and their faces were similarly shaped. But Luca’s eyes were pale blue, almost gray, and Tifa wondered if her twenty-seven years were what had given her such an air of calm complacency. Nothing seemed to ruffle her.

“Tifa!” Luca didn’t smile, but the corners of her eyes lifted. “I haven’t seen you out here in a while! Can I get you something?”

“No thanks,” Tifa said, leaning one elbow on the stained counter. “I just need someone to talk to. I’ve got a bit of a dilemma.”

“Sure. It’s been kinda slow today. I think the fried marche craze is finally dying down.”

“Oh, yeah? I heard about it, but I didn’t know you were the one who started it.”

“Yep! One of my suppliers had a ton of it on his hands and didn’t know what to do with it, so I bought the whole lot for cheap. Then I thought I’d try frying it, and the rest is history!” Luca made a sweeping gesture.

“That’s great!” Tifa said. “But… what _is_ marche, exactly?”

“I… I don’t really know, to be honest. It looks like… meat? Has a texture like meat, anyway.”

“Oh. I always thought it was a vegetable.”

“Could be.” Luca shrugged. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Well…” Tifa took a deep breath. “Promise you won’t repeat any of this, okay?”

“Absolutely.”

Tifa glanced over her shoulder as the train rolled into the station and ground to a hissing stop. She watched a few people step down from the platform.

“It’s about Aerith,” she said with a sigh. “And Zack.”

“Oh.” Luca’s brows rose. “Is something wrong? They seemed to really hit it off last night. Are they dating?”

“That’s the thing. They _used_ to date a long time ago… well, sort of. Then he got sent on a mission for SOLDIER one day, and it was like he vanished off the face of the earth. Nobody heard from him for five whole years. And now that he’s back… he doesn’t seem to remember her at all.”

“Wow.” Luca stared. “That’s really strange.”

“I know. So, naturally, Aerith is really struggling with it. She’s still in love with him. She never stopped loving him, no matter how hard she tried to move on. Last night, when she finally saw him for the first time in five years, and he acted like he didn’t even know her…” Tifa couldn’t finish.

“Oh, Tifa, that must’ve been absolutely heartbreaking.”

“It really was.” Tifa blinked back tears. “She’s been an emotional wreck. I don’t know what to do. I just told her to be patient with him. She’s hoping he’ll eventually remember, but… he doesn’t seem to know _anything._ ”

Luca’s pale eyes were wide. “Do you think he has amnesia?”

“I don’t know.” Tifa glanced over Luca’s head and stared at the uneven plastic letters on the menu. “It’s not like he doesn’t know who he is. He still knows how to fight. It’s more like… something’s a little off.”

“Well, if he does, then what he needs more than anything is for his loved ones to help him get his memories back.”

“But…” Tifa looked down at her fingers. “Aerith isn’t even sure if he ever really loved her. They were good friends, but they didn’t see each other that often. The way she put it, they weren’t _official._ ”

“Hmm. He’s definitely interested _now_ , though. Honestly, I think she should do everything in her power to secure his feelings. Then she’ll be more comfortable opening up to him later on, and she can tell him all about the past.”

“Wait.” Tifa took a step back, frowning. “You’re saying… she needs to throw herself at him?”

Luca laughed. “Of course not. But she could try to be a little more forward. Some strategic flirting wouldn’t hurt.”

“Strategic flirting?” Tifa’s lips twitched. “Luca, you’re too much.”

“Why not? Listen, Tifa. I’m a little older than you girls, and I’ve let plenty of good things get away from me simply because I was too shy. When you really want a man, I think it’s always better to show _more_ affection rather than less. Not many of them have the heart to fall in love without a little encouragement.”

“Maybe. But I thought she flirted pretty hard with him last night, and it went right over his head.” At least, Tifa thought, it had sailed over Cloud’s.

“Aerith is a super friendly girl, though,” Luca pointed out. “She’s always smiling.”

“You’re right about that. She smiles even when she’s hurting.”

“Exactly. So I can see how someone might misunderstand her intentions, if they don’t know her well. They’d see her being friendly to everyone and not see anything special about the way she treats Zack.”

“I don’t know.” Tifa was shaking her head. “Aerith isn’t shy, but I just can’t see her chasing after him. She wants _him_ to pursue _her_. That’s the way it went last time, and I don’t think she’s going to settle for anything else.”

*^*^*^*^*

As the time for the AVALANCHE meeting drew closer, Tifa hustled back to Seventh Heaven with her heart hammering in her chest and a greasy white bag of fried marche clutched in her hand. She thought it tasted like mushrooms. Maybe Yuffie would help her eat the rest.

The Reactor One bombing mission was set for tomorrow night. Tifa wouldn’t be going, but that didn’t change the way she felt about it.

“Tifa!” Yuffie burst through the doors and ran toward her as she approached the bar, quivering from head to toe with excitement. “I’m officially open for business! Check out my sign!”

She pointed to the large sheet of white poster board that was now taped to one of the front doors. Tifa read:

_YUFFIE KISARAGI_

_Event Planner AND Ninja For Hire_

_Services Offered: Dance Parties, Birthday Parties, Weddings, Baby Showers, Infiltration, Espionage, Assassinations, And More!_

_Inquire Within_

“Well? How does it look?”

Tifa poked her tongue into her cheek. “Uh…”

 _“_ Did I spell ‘assassinations’ right?” Yuffie cocked her head to one side. “I wasn’t sure how many S’s there were.”

Fortunately, Tifa was able to persuade Yuffie to promote her ninja business solely through word-of-mouth, and the sign came down before Barret and the others arrived.

Zack and Cloud had been told to meet the rest of the crew at the Sector Seven undercity station at eight o’clock. Barret insisted on having them all ride together in the freight car. As outsiders to the group, they did not attend meetings. Yuffie was excluded as well, but Tifa was pretty sure the ninja already knew everything they said and did.

Wedge had their escape route from the reactor to the station planned out in detail. Jessie’s bomb was nearly complete. She gave them all multiple assurances that the explosion would be controlled and damage would be contained within the reactor itself, so the streets would be clear. Even so, Tifa placed a quick call to Aerith before opening the bar for the evening.

“Did you see Zack today?” were the first words out of Aerith’s mouth.

“Yeah, he and Cloud came over for breakfast.”

Aerith gasped. “Really? Did he ask about me?”

“Uh… yes, he did.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Oh, I didn’t want to say too much. He can figure things out on his own.” Tifa had no intention of repeating Cloud’s thoughts on the subject. “Listen, Aerith,” she said in a hushed voice. “You need to stay home tomorrow night. Don’t go up to Sector Eight.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

“Barret and the others are going to be involved in… some things up there. Cloud and Zack are going, too. We don’t anticipate a lot of trouble, but the situation could become dangerous. That’s all I can tell you.”

“Wait. _Zack_ is going to be there?”

Tifa swallowed. “Yeah. But don’t worry about him. I’m sure he can take care of himself.”

“Oh, I’m not worried.” There was a long pause. “So, uh… they’ll be taking the train, right?”

“Right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter title: “Two Are Better Than One”
> 
> I apologize for the slowness of this update. Mom life is hectic and I have a toddler who refuses to sleep, so time for writing has been scarce. Going forward, I don’t expect to be able to post more than twice a month. Thank you so much for sticking with this story, especially those of you who left kudos and comments. Your feedback really encourages me to keep going!
> 
> ETA: The song “Feelings” was written by Luis Gasté and Morris Albert, the latter of whom also sang it, back in 1974... and if you haven’t yet been blessed by this cringey classic... I envy you. Jessie’s rendition is more in line with Carol Burnett’s fictional performance on The Gong Show. (Revealing my age a little here, but I’m not QUITE as old as that.)


End file.
